Catch On the Record, hosted by Sheilah Kast, weekdays from 9:30 to 10:00 am, following NPR's Morning Edition. We'll discuss the issues that affect your life and bring you thoughtful and lively conversations with the people who shape those issues -- business people, public officials, scholars, artists, authors, WYPR reporters and other journalists who can take us inside the story. If you want to share a comment, question, or an idea for an interview you?d like to hear, email us at ontherecord@wypr.org
Harriet Tubman's pivotal role as a Union spy
In Maryland we know Harriet Tubman best for fearlessly guiding people out of bondage. She was also a priceless scout and spy for the Union. Historian Edda Fields-Black, in her book "Combee," recounts Tubman’s vital role when the army liberated hundreds of enslaved rice-plantation workers.
Fields-Black will be at the Enoch Pratt's Central Library tonight at 7 pm. Register to attend in-person or view live online. Information here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/26/2024 • 25 minutes, 45 seconds
Stoop Story: Creating community through food
Here’s a Stoop Story from Aisha Alfadhalah about making her way … and finding community. You can find more information about Stoop Storytelling, including the Stoop podcast, at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/23/2024 • 9 minutes, 39 seconds
In 'Behind You is the Sea,' a mosaic of Palestinian American stories set in Baltimore
Baltimore is full of immigrant stories. Susan Muaddi Darraj adds to the tapestry with her debut novel: Behind You is the Sea. It draws on her Palestinian roots and her family’s immigration experience, tracing the intertwined daily lives of three families.
On Saturday, Feb. 24, 2023, at 3pm, Muaddj Darraj is scheduled to appear at the Johns Hopkins Barnes and Noble in Charles Village.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/23/2024 • 17 minutes, 1 second
'Ben's Ten' visits Harriet Tubman's Maryland roots, and the recent discovery of her childhood home
The rich tidal marshes and mixed oak and pine forests of the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge stretch back into time. Into this lush, mysterious world of cricket song and nesting waterfowl in Dorchester County on the edge of the Eastern Shore, Araminta Ross was born in March 1822.
Araminta would later be called “Moses” by the enslaved people she led to freedom along the Underground Railroad.
Most of us know her as Harriet Tubman. The steadfast abolitionist grew up on a 10-acre property near the mouth of the Blackwater River. Over decades, Tubman’s childhood home was lost in the swampy marsh, but then rediscovered in 2021.
A new documentary, “Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore,” visits the site, and explores, the lives of enslaved people who lived, worked and died here. It’s called “Ben’s Ten: Chattel Slavery on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.”
The documentary was produced by Maryland Public Television in partnership with the state’s Department of Public Transportation State Highway Administration.
We speak to Dr. Julie Schablitsky, Chief of Cultural Resources at the Maryland Department of Transportation, who helped rediscovery the historical site.
We are also joined by Ernestine “Tina” Martin Wyatt, a descendant of Harriet Tubman.
(Photo by Lorie Shaull, via Flickr. License: CC BY 2.0 DEED)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/22/2024 • 24 minutes, 2 seconds
Mahalia! A life; and Banneker-Douglass celebrates 60 years of Civil Rights
The musical legacy of Mahalia Jackson, the Queen of Gospel, is immense. Arena Players tells her story, through song! How do you bring that legacy to the stage? We talk with musical director and performer Tevin Brown, and Tierra Strickland, who portrays Mahalia.
Plus, the Banneker-Douglass museum revisits the past with a look to the future … pairing archival civil rights photos with contemporary art. It's called REvisit REimagine. Curator Thomas James gives us a preview!
Links: Arena Players performances of Mahalia!, Banneker Douglas Museum, REvisit/REimagine opening party.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/21/2024 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
What do Americans think about race? Michele Norris reveals 'Our Hidden Conversations'
Longtime journalist Michele Norris thought no one would talk about race, but she asked anyway: In six words, your thought? Those messages form the core of her book, "Our Hidden Conversations: What Americans Really Think About Race And Identity." Learn more about the Race Card Project.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/20/2024 • 25 minutes, 58 seconds
Biographer David O. Stewart on George Washington's political rise
Historian David O. Stewart traces George Washington’s skills as a political operator, as well as the first president’s failure to speak out against slavery as he came to realize its evils. Stewart's biography is titled, "George Washington: The Political Rise of America’s Founding Father."
This interview originally aired on September 8, 2021.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/19/2024 • 24 minutes, 1 second
Stoop Story: Say 'baa!' A father and his kids
Here is a Stoop Story from Geoffrey Danek about the highs and lows of goat parenting.
The next Stoop event is March 6th, in partnership with the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. The theme is "Failing Up – Rising Stronger from Professional Failures."Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/16/2024 • 12 minutes, 30 seconds
Education news roundup: absenteeism, teacher pay, City Schools CEO contract
Baltimore Banner reporter Liz Bowie joins us for a roundup of news about schools. Why are so many kids chronically absent, and why is it getting worse? What’s up with a pay raise for Baltimore teachers? Will the head of City Schools renew her contract?
Read her reporting:Time is nearly up. Will Baltimore City schools keep CEO Sonja Santelises?Baltimore teachers negotiate a 9% pay bump for early-career educatorsFar more Maryland students are missing too much schoolDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/16/2024 • 13 minutes, 48 seconds
Representing and advocating on behalf of women in Maryland for half a century
Divorce and child custody, employment discrimination, sexual assault, domestic violence--for five decades the Women’s Law Center of Maryland has been responding to, representing and advocating for women. Executive Director Katie Curran O'Malley and Chief Programs Officer Laure Ruth describe their agenda. Plus, former client Meisha Hall describes what she's lived through.
Links: Women's Law Center of Maryland, WLC assistance and advocacy. Find the family law hotline here, and the employment Law hotline here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/15/2024 • 24 minutes, 11 seconds
Stoop Story: Lost love, found again
Here’s a Stoop Story from Pattie Archuleta about rediscovering love separated by long years and vast distances.
The next Stoop Storytelling event is March 6, 2024. The even is called “Failing Up: Rising Stronger from Professional Failures” and is scheduled to be held at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
(Photo by Aaron Curtis)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/14/2024 • 10 minutes, 8 seconds
Dating can be a rollercoaster. For people with disability, there is often added complexity
Dating can be a exhilarating, if slightly terrifying, experience. And for people living with disabilities, such as chronic illness, finding love can be a bit more complicated.
Chris Mason-Hale mentors young people navigating disability and says he is often asked about dating and love. He is the Community Advocate at the Maryland Center for Developmental Disabilities’ and the Faculty Advocate with the Maternal and Child Health Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities.
Mason-Hale, who has used a wheelchair since his teenage years, recently wrote a blog post about online dating and disability for Think Equitable, the website of The National Center for Disability, Equity, and Intersectionality.
(Kassandra Ruhm, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/14/2024 • 14 minutes, 26 seconds
Boost your happiness with science; free dental clinics for children
What we think will make us happy, like pampering ourselves, often doesn’t. We ask Yale psychology professor Laurie Santos, who hosts “The Happiness Lab” podcast, how science shows the way. Santos will be in Baltimore on February 22nd for the Baltimore Speakers Series presented by Stevenson University.
Then, one in four US children misses out on dental care. Dentist Dr. Brenda Shah tells about healthy habits and free clinics organized by the Maryland State Dental Association Charitable and Educational Foundation.
Give Kids A Smile 2024 locations and dates here. Find additional resources through the Maryland Office of Oral Health:
2024 Maryland Oral Health Resource Guide (Spanish)
2024 Maryland Oral Health Resource Guide (English)
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/13/2024 • 24 minutes, 57 seconds
What will it take to bridge Maryland's home appraisal gap?
Homeownership is often a sign of financial security and success. A home’s growing value is often how many families build wealth they can pass along to their children.
But a significant gap exists between the valuation of homes owned by Black homeowners and white homeowners, even for comparable properties. Government and commercial housing industry assessments and appraisals often misevaluate the value of properties and homes owned by Black residents.
According to a December 2022 report to the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development compiled by the University of Maryland’s National Center for Smart Growth, the state’s tax assessment process consistently leads to higher assessments for properties in Black neighborhoods, and that leads to higher taxes for Black homeowners than white owners.
And there have been several high-profile cases of home appraisals seemingly skewed by racial bias.
Our guest Aja’ Mallory wrote about these challenges in a recent editorial for our news partner, The Baltimore Banner. She is a Senior staff attorney at the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.
We also spoke with members of the Maryland Task Force on Property Appraisal and Valuation Equity, recently created to study the persistent undervaluation of property owned by minorities and find possible solutions.
Jacqulyn Priestly chairs the task force. She also works as a communication specialist at the public relations firm Oak Hill Strategies.
Greg Hare is a member of the task force and Assistant Secretary of the Community Development Administration at the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development.
(Photograph by Eli Pousson, via Wikimedia Commons.)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/12/2024 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Flight lessons at four thousand feet!
Here’s a Stoop Story from Shaun Adamec about a flight he’ll never forget.
You can hear his story and others, and get information about live events and The Stoop podcast, here.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/9/2024 • 9 minutes, 55 seconds
"Fly With Me" shows how 'stewardesses' helped propel the women's and labor movements
To reassure passengers who might feel that flying was dangerous, the first flight attendants were nurses. But as air travel grew safer, the industry promoted ‘lovely hostesses of the air’ as part of the travel package. How did these young women fight sexist labor practices and power the women’s movement? We talk with Kathleen Barry, an academic advisor to the new PBS documentary that tells the story: "Fly With Me."
Links: "Fly With Me" trailer, "Fly With Me" airs Feb. 20, check local listings.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/9/2024 • 17 minutes, 1 second
Sheila Dixon talks schools, crime and why she should run Baltimore city
Nearly a decade and half after she resigned as Baltimore mayor in a plea deal, Sheila Dixon is making her third run to regain the city’s top spot. What is her plan to address crime? To improve the city’s schools? To stem the shrinking population?
Check voter registration status here, find Sheila Dixon for mayor, request a mail-in ballot here, Early voting and other election day info here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/7/2024 • 26 minutes, 9 seconds
Documenting a crucial chapter of the Chesapeake Bay's untold Black history
The Chesapeake Bay’s watermen have long put food on the plates of restaurants and family dinners across the region.
An often overlooked but crucial part of the Chesapeake Bay’s history are the stories of Black watermen. Now there’s been discussion among these watermen and their advocates about a memorial and cultural center dedicated to their history.
We speak with Vincent Leggett, the founder and president of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation. The nonprofit seeks to preserve and document the maritime history of African Americans on the Chesapeake Bay.
We also speak to Clayton Mitchell Sr., who lives on the Eastern Shore and contributes commentary to news site Maryland Matters.
(Photo by Brian Witte, AP)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/6/2024 • 13 minutes, 18 seconds
A Chesapeake Bay oyster farmer reflects on her industry
The Chesapeake Bay teems with life, and is home to a rich array of creatures from across the branches of the evolutionary tree.
One of the crucial contributors to the bay's ecosystem is the oyster. The Chesapeake Bay’s oyster population plummeted in the later half of the 20th century…but there are recent hopeful signs the bay’s oysters are making a comeback.
Here to talk about all things oysters is Imani Black, an oyster farmer who is pursuing a Master's degree at University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science at Horn Point Laboratory. She is also the CEO and founder of Minorities in Aquaculture—an advocacy group dedicated to increasing diversity in the cultivation and study of marine life.
We ask Imani about recent good news for the region's oysters, diversity within her industry and her connection the bay's waters.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/6/2024 • 11 minutes, 5 seconds
"Just Action" urges policy to end segregation, and shows readers where to start
In "Just Action: How to Challenge Segregation Enacted Under the Color of Law,'' Leah and Richard Rothstein argue the profound issues plaguing society are tied to our segregated neighborhoods. The father-daughter duo draw a roadmap to desegregation that allies can undertake at the local level.
Richard Rothstein is a Distinguished Fellow of the Economic Policy Institute and a Senior Fellow Emeritus at the Thurgood Marshall Institute of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Leah Rothstein is an expert on affordable housing policy, and a consultant for nonprofit developers, local governments and private firms.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/5/2024 • 25 minutes, 55 seconds
Fiber artist Elizabeth Talford Scott celebrated citywide
Elizabeth Talford Scott created fiber-based art that broke all the rules -- so did her career. Her colorful quilts and tapestries evoke ancestors and community. Now nine Baltimore museums and colleges will join to honor her creative legacy. We get a preview from artist and archivist Deyane Moses.
Links: Baltimore Museum of Art Eyewinkers, Tumbleturds and Candlebugs; Reginald F. Lewis Museum Black Woman Genius: Tapestries of Generations; MICA, Coppin State University Cryor Gallery, JELMA at Morgan State University; The Walters Art Museum.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/1/2024 • 16 minutes, 50 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Chasing your dreams, despite your parents!
Here's a Stoop Story from Temi Oni about following your heart, even when it means not listening to your parents. Visit Stoop Storytelling for more info about live events and the Stoop podcast.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/1/2024 • 8 minutes, 36 seconds
'Madness' chronicles Maryland's Jim Crow-era asylum and the legacy it left behind
Crownsville Hospital in Anne Arundel County was Maryland's infamous segregated mental health asylum, and the only such facility available to Black people in Maryland between 1911 and desegregation in the 1960s.
A new book by journalist Antonia Hylton traces the history of Crownsville Hospital, the struggles and triumphs of its patients, the lives of its staff and medical personnel and what this singular institution tells us about mental illness, racism and community in America. Along the way, Hylton grapples with her own family’s experiences with mental illness, and the shame that blossomed in secrecy and darkness for generations.
The book is called “Madness: Race And Insanity In A Jim Crow Asylum.”
Hylton is a Peabody and two-time Emmy award-winning correspondent for NBC News and MSNBC.
(Photo by Mark Clennon)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
2/1/2024 • 25 minutes, 6 seconds
Boosting financial literacy in Maryland schools; jumpstart your budget with MakingChange
Did you graduate high school feeling prepared to make financial decisions? Founded 70 years ago, the Maryland Council on Economic Education (MCEE) works to promote high-quality economic and financial instruction in classrooms across the state. We speak with MCEE's executive director Julie Weaver and Amy Cargiulo, a teacher in Howard County.
Then, take charge of your budget in 2024. We speak with Jasmine Brewer, executive director of MakingChange, a nonprofit that provides free individual counseling and group workshops on personal finance and home buying. Check out their Facebook page.
Find free tax preparation services in Maryland through the CASH Campaign of Maryland.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/31/2024 • 25 minutes, 34 seconds
Rising tides, saltier waters are a challenge for farmers along the Chesapeake Bay
(Original airdate: Dec. 5, 2023.)
Climate change, driven by human activity, has upset the balance of ecosystems and natural processes the world over.
In the Chesapeake Bay, changes to the natural environment that usually occur over hundreds or thousands of years are taking place in the span of a lifetime. Sea-level rise is causing salty ocean water to crawl farther and farther into the bay and onto nearby coastlands.
Jeremy Cox is a Chesapeake Bay Journal staff writer who has written about saltwater intrusion.
Some of the oldest farmland in the country is on the Delmarva peninsula, and threatened by eroding coast lands and saltwater.
Bob Fitzgerald lives on the Eastern Shore in Somerset County. His family has farmed in the same area for many generations.
And Sarah Hirsh, Ph.D., has been an extension educator for University of Maryland in Somerset County since 2018. Her research and Extension program focuses on soils, conservation and cover crops.
(Photo by Julio Cortez, AP)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/30/2024 • 24 minutes, 5 seconds
Maryland Food Bank funds nonprofits to get at the root of poverty
Seven hundred thousand Marylanders don't get enough food. The Maryland food bank has been fighting hunger for decades. Now they hope to get at the root of food insecurity with a new grant program -- we hear about it from COO Meg Kimmel.
Plus, Eric Jackson, head of the Black Yield Institute and Billy Humphrey, who leads City of Refuge-Baltimore, talk about how their nonprofits plan to combat hunger in innovative ways.
Links: Maryland Food Bank, Black Yield Institute, City of Refuge-Baltimore.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/29/2024 • 25 minutes, 52 seconds
Stoop Story: Snowboarding gone wrong
Here’s a Stoop Story from John Couzee about a harrowing winter trip to Colorado.
The next free Stoop event is Saturday afternoon at Morgan State University. The theme is “Baltimoored: Stories about transportation barriers to getting around town.” Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/26/2024 • 8 minutes, 45 seconds
Is Baltimore seeing a 'soft return' to zero tolerance policing?
Conversations about police reform in Baltimore often include the phrase “community policing,” a model aimed at building relationships with residents, or call for a focus on “repeat violent offenders” instead of low-level offenses. How did we get here? What approaches came before?
We speak with journalist Brandon Soderberg, who co-authored, “I Got A Monster,” about Baltimore’s disgraced Gun Trace Task Force.
Read:Here We Go Again
Baltimore’s record police spending isn’t reducing crimeDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/26/2024 • 17 minutes, 47 seconds
Servers make much of their money from tips. A Maryland proposal might change that.
Many minimum wage workers in Maryland are seeing bigger paychecks this month. Legislation boosting the state’s minimum wage went into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
But the situation is different for tipped workers, like restaurant staff or bartenders.
Tipped workers receive a base pay as little as $3.63 an hour, though employers are required to make up the difference if a tipped worker's base wage plus tips equal less than $15 an hour.
However, some tipped workers and labor advocates are pushing to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, and legislation has been filed in both houses of the General Assembly to do that.
We speak with the chief sponsor of the House bill, Democratic Del. Adrian Boafo, and Mahkaylah Monroe, a waiter at an Outback Steakhouse in Laurel, Maryland.
We also talk to opponents of the bill, who argue a raised minimum wage is unnecessary and might endanger the tips waiters and bartenders rely on.
Marshall Weston is President and CEO of the Restaurant Association of Maryland, an advocate for the hospitality and food service industry. We also speak to Alex McCrimmon, a server at the Clyde’s American Restaurant and Bar in Rockville, Maryland.
(Photo: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/25/2024 • 26 minutes, 14 seconds
Essays tell why HBCUs make a difference
We talk with NPR Sunday host Ayesha Rascoe about why she collected essays from another dozen-and a half alumni for her new book: "HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience."
Links: Wait list for Ayesha Rascoe at Enoch Pratt Library 1/31/24, Pratt event virtual stream, pre-order "HBCU Made."
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/24/2024 • 16 minutes, 39 seconds
Coppin State wants to send more special educators to the classroom
Why is Coppin State University funneling a million dollars toward training special educators? We ask Prof. Nicole Anthony and Prof. Anita Weisburger to explain.
For information about Project POSE at Coppin State University contact Nicole Anthony, Ph.D. at 410.951.6448 or nianthony@coppin.edu or Anita Weisburger, Ph.D. at aweisburger@coppin.edu 410-951-6447.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/24/2024 • 9 minutes, 37 seconds
What does the sale of the Baltimore Sun mean for local journalism?
What is behind the recent purchase of the Baltimore Sun by local conservative media executive David D. Smith? We ask NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik. Plus: Dean Jacqueline Jones of Morgan State’s journalism department and the Baltimore Beat’s editor Lisa Snowden on the sale and how it could impact local journalism and local journalists. Read more:New Baltimore Sun owner on tape bashing city schools, local politicians and moreThe Baltimore Sun has been sold to a conservative broadcast chiefAfter Baltimore Sun sale to David Smith, part-owner Armstrong Williams offers visionEditor's note: Audio has been edited to remove a technical issue at the top of the program.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/23/2024 • 24 minutes, 25 seconds
The animal welfare world lacks diversity. CARE is working for change
The animal welfare world - from shelters to vet clinics - is overwhelmingly white. The group CARE - Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity - is pushing for change, by investing in leaders from diverse communities. What does it take to dismantle racism in animal care and control?
Our guests:James Evans, founder and chief executive officer of CAREDr. Azalia Boyd, CARE’s chief veterinary medical officer and chair of CARE’s Veterinary Advisory CommitteeTre Law, senior director of CARE Centers and Community Animal CARE Liaison - Southeast TierLearn more about the Dr. Jodie G Blackwell Black Veterinary Scholarship fund. Check out the Vet REDI training.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/22/2024 • 25 minutes, 27 seconds
Stoop Stories: Pizza slices and the art of fatherhood
Ryan Patterson shares a Stoop Story about finding his footing as a father.
The next Stoop event is a week from tomorrow: Saturday, January 27th at Morgan State University. The theme is “Baltimoored: Stories about transportation barriers to getting around town.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/19/2024 • 8 minutes, 31 seconds
Baker Artist Award winner Oletha DeVane mixes material and meaning
Multimedia artist Oletha DeVane makes art from an enormous variety of material: glass, fabric, beads, string, steel and much more. One of six winners of the 2023 Baker Artist Awards, DeVane describes her process and where she draws inspiration.
Check out DeVane's Baker Artist portfolio. Watch profiles of the 2023 Baker Artist Award winners.
Tonight at 7:30 pm, Maryland Public Television will air profiles of all six 2023 Baker Artist Award winners. You can catch this special on MPT-HD or online at mpt.org/livestream. An encore broadcast of the special will air on Saturday at 8 p.m. on MP2/Create and online.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/19/2024 • 17 minutes, 39 seconds
CMTA Transit report card D+ for Baltimore region - Why?
The Central Maryland Transportation Alliance released its transit report card for the region. Spoiler alert -- it’s a D+. We ask executive director Brian O’Malley how they measure success and how might things improve. Plus, we hear from Baltimore transit riders about their experiences.
Links: Central Maryland Transportation Alliance, CMTA Report Card, Get Maryland MovingDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/18/2024 • 24 minutes, 46 seconds
Change is coming to Baltimore's water infrastructure. What can we learn from other cities?
Baltimore’s massive water and sewage system is its most valuable asset, and delivers water and wastewater services to more than 1.5 million people in the city, Baltimore county and neighboring counties.
The system is owned and operated by the city, but the future governance is unclear. The Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force has spent months considering potential changes, with disagreement between the county and city on how it should be run.
Professor Louise Seamster joins us to discuss how metropolitan areas similar to Baltimore have handled the question of governance over their water and sewage systems, and where those choices have led them.
Seamster is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and African American Studies in the University of Iowa, where she studies how cities and counties own and operate water-wastewater infrastructure.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/17/2024 • 14 minutes, 26 seconds
Baltimore's aging infrastructure is in trouble. DPW wants to help.
If you imagine Baltimore city as a human body, its pipes and water mains could be compared to arteries, its trash and recycling services to white blood cells and its sewage lines as the lower intestines.
All of this infrastructure, critical for daily life in Baltimore, are overseen by one department: The Department of Public Works.
Interim director Richard Luna, named to the position last June, is tasked with the response to several pressing challenges, including aging infrastructure, a 2002 consent decree regarding sewage and wastewater overflows and potential changes to the oversight of the city's water and wastewater systems.
(Photo by Elvert Barnes, via Flickr. License: CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/17/2024 • 12 minutes, 40 seconds
Apprenticeships could be the future of historic preservation in Maryland and beyond
From rowhomes in Baltimore to tobacco barns in Southern Maryland, the survival of historic buildings depends on training the next generation of masons, carpenters, and roofers.
We speak with preservationists and business owners, and hear about a national initiative to promote jobs in the historic trades. Original airdate: 12/7/23
Guests:
- Nicholas Redding, president and CEO of Preservation Maryland and The Campaign for Historic Trades
- Natalie Henshaw, director of The Campaign for Historic Trades and the owner of Henshaw Preservation, a window restoration and historic masonry company
- Darius Johnson, who is pursuing a graduate degree in preservation at Goucher College in Baltimore County
- Mae Bowley, executive director of Re:Purpose Savannah, a nonprofit focused on the salvage and reuse of historic buildings
Learn more:
- Labor study on the status of historic trades in the United StatesDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/16/2024 • 25 minutes, 16 seconds
The vast AFRO Archives capture icons of civil rights and everyday life
Every third Monday in January, we mark Martin Luther King Jr. Day. And every year, the generation of the Civil Rights Movement, its leaders and the everyday people who powered it, inch further and further into history.
The archives maintained by The AFRO American News are seeking to build a link to that history, by preserving the record of its past editions spanning all the way back to the paper's founding in 1892.
Alexis Taylor, managing editor of The AFRO American News, is here with me to talk about the legacy news organizations and the history contained in its pages.
(Photo from The AFRO Archives)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/15/2024 • 12 minutes, 8 seconds
How Martin Luther King Jr.'s final days changed Maryland's labor movement
The year Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered, 1968, was a big year for a cause Rev. King championed: the labor movement.
King was in Memphis, Tennessee, to campaign with unionizing sanitation workers. In April, he would be shot and killed.
His death reverberated across the county. But the success of the sanitation workers in Memphis would have direct consequences for Baltimore and Maryland, where thousands of public sector workers were seeking to unionize.
Jane Berger, PhD, is an Associate Professor of History at Moravian University. She is also author of “A New Working Class: The Legacies of Public-Sector Employment in the Civil Rights Movement.”
(Photo from the AFRO American Newspapers Archives.)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/15/2024 • 13 minutes, 3 seconds
Stoop Story: Love worth fighting for; love worth letting go
Christy Villalobos shares a Stoop Story about love, loss, and letting go. Listen to the Stoop podcast.
The next Stoop event is two weeks from tomorrow - January 27th - at Morgan State University, in partnership with the Baltimore City House Delegation. The theme is “Baltimoored: Stories about transportation barriers to getting around town.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/12/2024 • 8 minutes, 58 seconds
A seat at the table: ‘I Will Eat You Alive’ confronts fatphobia
In "I Will Eat You Alive," audiences are invited to a dinner party. With each "course," a trio of actors confront diet culture, fatphobia, and society’s expectations. We speak with Baltimore playwright Katie Hileman about reclaiming the word "fat."
“I Will Eat You Alive" runs from January 25th through February 10th at The Voxel theater in Baltimore.
Related events (to be held in the lobby of The Voxel):-Plus-size clothing swap with The Skylight Boutique, February 3rd, 11:00am – 4:00pm-Round table discussion with the cast and director Katie Hileman moderated by Kayla Stansberry, February 4th, 4:30 – 5:30pm-Two Strikes Theatre Collective storytelling hour, February 10th, 2:00 – 4:00pmDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/12/2024 • 16 minutes, 17 seconds
Black Teachers leaving Maryland classrooms at higher numbers than white colleagues
Black teachers in Maryland leave the profession at higher rates than their white teacher counterparts. Why? We talk with Baltimore Banner education reporter Kristen Griffith about what she learned. Plus, Wallace Lane, Michelle Early and Danielle Ferrentino talk about their very different experiences in the Maryland education system.
Baltimore Banner article, "Black teachers are leaving. How can Maryland schools get them to stay?"Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/11/2024 • 26 minutes
Report lays out new ideas about how Maryland directs welfare funds
A recent study by the Maryland Center on Economic Policy argues more of Maryland’s welfare funds should go to cash assistance. We speak with author and MDCEP State Policy Fellow Jasmin Aramburu.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/10/2024 • 10 minutes, 9 seconds
Young parents in Baltimore's guaranteed income pilot find 'second family'
For more than a year and a half, Baltimore City has been running an experiment - $1000 a month to low-income young parents. How are families using the money? How have participants created a sense of community?
Tonaeya Moore is the director of policy for the CASH Campaign of Maryland. Tazhane Jordan is a participant in Baltimore City’s guaranteed income pilot program.
Learn more about the Baltimore Young Families Success Fund (BYFSF):Guaranteed Income Pilots Dashboard - BaltimoreBaltimore tests a guaranteed income for 200 young parentsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/10/2024 • 15 minutes, 22 seconds
Maryland's 2024 legislative session: A budget shortfall, juvenile crime, more
Lawmakers are gearing up for the new legislative session in Annapolis. On their minds: how to handle a budget shortfall of three-quarters of a billion dollars, and what spending cuts could mean for transportation and climate plans.
We speak with Pamela Wood, who covers government and politics for The Baltimore Banner, and Josh Kurtz, founding editor of Maryland Matters. Read more:Maryland’s budget math: $761 million shortfall predictedJuvenile justice among criminal justice reform topics up for discussion in upcoming legislative sessionMaryland offers road map for fighting climate changeMoore: 2024 will be ‘the year for military families’New plan for horse racing focuses on revitalizing Pimlico Race CourseDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/9/2024 • 24 minutes, 12 seconds
Mental health concerns continued following pandemic. These Marylanders seek to meet the moment.
During the pandemic, according to Gallup polling, more Americans reported having depression or receiving treatment for depression. In fact, in 2020 that number was higher than any other point since Gallup started collecting such data in 2015.
Many Americans are struggling with depression and other mental illness. We talk to two efforts in Maryland to seeking to meet the rising need for mental health support.
Kerry Graves is the executive director of NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore. The organization partners with students to start a conversation about mental health among young people and their friends and family. Julia Wang a student ambassador for NAMI at Johns Hopkins University.
Jennifer Redding is a licensed clinical social worker and Executive Director of Behavioral Health Services for the University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health and the Klein Family Harford Crisis Center in Bel Air, Maryland.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 by phone or text at 988. More information here.
(Photo by Niles Werner, Flickr. License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 DEED)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/8/2024 • 25 minutes, 43 seconds
Behind You is the Sea: A mosaic of Palestinian American stories set in Baltimore
Baltimore is full of immigrant stories. Susan Muaddi Darraj adds to the tapestry with her debut novel: Behind You is the Sea. It draws on her Palestinian roots and her family’s immigration experience, tracing the intertwined daily lives of three families.
She will be in conversation with CityLit Project executive director Carla DuPree at Bird in Hand books on Tues. Jan. 16. More details here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/5/2024 • 18 minutes, 19 seconds
Stoop Stories: Holding fast to your roots
Here’s a Stoop Story from Sujata Massey about embracing a connected sense of the world. You can hear her story and others at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/5/2024 • 7 minutes, 24 seconds
Understanding the threat Christian nationalism poses to democracy
Ahead of the third anniversary of the Capitol Riot, we look at the threat Christian nationalism poses to American democracy. Robert P. Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute shares survey data on who holds Christian nationalist beliefs.
Read the full report. View the results.
Then, the new documentary, “Spiritual Warriors: Decoding Christian Nationalism at the Capitol Riot,” explores the modern roots of Christian nationalism. We speak with Matthew Taylor, senior scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies.
The documentary will be screened January 31st at the Senator Theatre. Taylor's forthcoming book is, “The Violent Take it by Force: The Christian movement that is threatening our democracy.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/4/2024 • 26 minutes, 21 seconds
Baltimore's Nu Momish: A community that uplifts moms in every stage of motherhood
We talk with Nu Momish founder Gilly Shaw. Her business advocates for, supports and provides resources for new mothers -- whether that means a kind listening ear, or help tackling that mountain of laundry! She recently received a Black Futures Micro Grant from Cllctivly to help grow her business.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/3/2024 • 10 minutes, 24 seconds
Baltimore's Binti Circle Supports Black daughters caring for parents
We talk with Dawnita Brown, the founder of Binti Circle. The non profit creates community and provides support for Black daughters who are caregivers for their parents. She recently received a Black Futures Micro Grant from Cllctivly to help grow her business.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/3/2024 • 13 minutes, 31 seconds
Father-daughter duo keeps Bulgarian folk music alive in Maryland
Drummers, singers, guitar and accordion players - the folk music of Bulgaria is designed to spur dancers and entertain crowds with its striking blend of eastern and western sounds. How are Bulgarians in Maryland keeping this tradition alive and training the next generation of performers?
We speak with father-daughter duo Kalin Kirilov and Yana Kirilov, who are pursuing a folklife apprenticeship through the Maryland State Arts Council.
Listen to more music from the Balkan Soul Band. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/2/2024 • 12 minutes, 23 seconds
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore School for the Arts launch partnership
The Baltimore School for the Arts and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra are partnering to offer hands-on learning experiences for students. What will this partnership look like?
We speak with Jonathon Heyward, music director of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and Roz Cauthen, executive director of the Baltimore School for the Arts, a public performing-arts high school.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/2/2024 • 13 minutes, 7 seconds
'Touching the Art' author explores her grandmother's love and denial
Growing up, Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore adored her grandmother Gladys Goldstein; not for her acclaim as an abstract artist, but because she nurtured young Sycamore’s creativity.
But that changed when Sycamore came out as gender queer. In her latest work, "Touching the Art," Sycamore writes a mixture of biography, criticism, and social history in her sprawling memoir.
This episode originally aired on November 9, 2023.
(Photo: Provided by MBS)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
1/1/2024 • 25 minutes, 21 seconds
Double scoop Stoop: Holidays with the in-laws, and the awe of birth!
Here's a double scoop of Stoop Stories for the holidays! Christmas fanatic Sarah Achenbach describes her ‘not so delicate’ negotiations with in-laws during the holidays … And Kelly Rudis talks about the awe of birth, and the power of transformation. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/29/2023 • 24 minutes, 52 seconds
The health consequences of indoor air pollution
A new report shines lights on air pollution inside Maryland's residential and commercial buildings. The report is titled, Cutting Through The Smog: How Air Quality Standards Help Solve The Hidden Health Toll Of Air Pollution From Maryland’s Homes And Businesses.
We speak with Ruth Ann Norton of the Green & Healthy Homes Initiative and Hopkins pulmonologist Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos. The pair wrote an op-ed for The Baltimore Banner about ways to address poor indoor air quality.
Visit GHHI's website for more information on home environmental health, safety and energy efficiency.
This program originally aired on October 30, 2023. Photo by Marek Slusarczyk, via Wikimedia. License: CC BY 3.0.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/28/2023 • 25 minutes, 2 seconds
Small but powerful, Maryland's oysters make a comeback
At its peak in the late 1800s, the Chesapeake Bay produced more oysters than almost anywhere else in the world. During the twentieth century, however, oyster populations in the bay plummeted to a tiny fraction of their former levels.
And 5 years ago—in 2018— a Maryland Department of Natural Resources assessment of the state’s waters found the oyster population had shrunk in half in less than twenty years.
But there is recent good news for the bay's oysters. In October, Gov. Wes Moore announced that Maryland and its partners would plant more than 1.7. *billion* new juvenile oysters--a new one-year record for oyster planting in the Chesapeake Bay.
The new oysters are primarily grown at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge. Matthew Gray is an assistant professor at that laboratory, which hosts one of the largest oyster hatcheries on the east coast. Gray talks to us about these powerful mollusks, their habitat and the role they play in the bay.
(Photo by Dave Harp, The Chesapeake Bay Journal)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/27/2023 • 11 minutes, 35 seconds
Are Baltimore's 'Ghost Rivers' flowing beneath your backyard?
As you walk to work or drive to the grocery store, you crisscross a network of hidden streams and rivers beneath Baltimore’s concrete surface.
A public art installation and walking tour created by a local artist and designer seeks to pull back the pavement on Baltimore’s underground waterways. Ghost Rivers is a series of installations, wayfinding markers, and writings that took several years of research and preparation.
Bruce Willen is the artist behind the project, and also the founder of design studio Public Mechanics. When we spoke to him in October, we asked about how he first learned of this underground history, and his other work illustrating the hidden history surrounding us.
Guided walking tours led by Willen and environmental advocacy group Blue Water Baltimore are tentatively planned for the Spring. Dates will be announced on the Ghost Rivers website.
And listen to an archived episode of Maryland Curiosity Bureau, where host Aaron Henkin learned more about Baltimore's hidden streams and rivers.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/27/2023 • 12 minutes, 7 seconds
Pause before you post: Advice from a social media and parenting expert
Sharing and messaging through social media apps is the modern version of passing a note in class. It’s how kids communicate.
We speak with parenting and technology expert Devorah Heitner about setting healthy boundaries for Internet use while giving children space to explore. Her latest book is, "Growing Up In Public: Coming Of Age In A Digital World.”This program originally aired on October 23, 2023. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/26/2023 • 24 minutes, 50 seconds
The trials and triumphs of motherhood. Plus, a single mother reflects on the 'what ifs.'
Marie Louise Kelly, cohost of NPR's All Things Considered, has a resume as long as any journalist today. In her latest book, It. Goes. So. Fast.: The Year of No Do-Overs, she tries to find time for her oldest son as he prepares for college.
We also speak with Leslie Gray Streeter, author of a new series of columns for the Baltimore Banner about being a single mother. She discusses facing stigma and uncertainty while raising her young son.
This episode originally aired on November 13, 2023.
(Photo from Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/25/2023 • 25 minutes, 7 seconds
A deep look into Baltimore's stained glass history
Stained glass is not just for churches. In Baltimore, if you look for it, you’ll find it all over -- elaborate skylights, charming transoms, colorful portholes. We ask Linda Rabben, an anthropologist and author, what the artful glass tells us about class, race, and social networks in Charm City.
Links: Through a Glass Darkly book, Peale Museum Exhibit for Through a Glass Darkly, Baltimore Architecture Foundation talk at Zion Church of the City of Baltimore Jan 6, at 2pm, Histories about "Two Story King of East Baltimore" Frank Novak, here and here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/22/2023 • 14 minutes, 38 seconds
Stoop Story: Christmastime in Hampden, hon!
Here's a Stoop Story from Falkenhan’s Hardware owner Deb Falkenhan, about the quirky Christmas traditions in her family, and in Baltimore’s Hampden neighborhood. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/22/2023 • 11 minutes, 14 seconds
Baltimore's homicide count hits a 9-year low. Mayor Scott shares what's behind the drop.
Baltimore City will end the year with the fewest homicides in nearly a decade. According to the city’s Public Safety Accountability Dashboard, 260 people have lost their lives in Baltimore this year. The city has not been under 300 murders since 2014, when there were 211 homicides. Last year more than 330 people were murdered.
Is the tide turning? If so, why? We speak with Mayor Brandon Scott about the city's violence reduction strategy.
Then, each quarter, the Baltimore Peace Movement holds Peace Promise weekends to affirm life and promote community building. We speak with co-organizer Letrice Gant.
Learn more about the Baltimore Community Mediation Center. The next Peace Promise Weekend is February 2nd. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/21/2023 • 26 minutes, 29 seconds
Interfaith Families Project in MoCo creates space for both Christians and Jews
Families who practice more than one religion can be faced with a lot to navigate, especially during holiday season. Inclusion, creating community, representation -- are all important considerations that can receive a hyper focus at this time.
The Interfaith Families Project in Montgomery County has deep experience navigating through differences. Their community, which meets virtually and in-person in Rockville, has been embracing and celebrating religious diversity for more than a quarter century.
We talk with the two women who guide the way for the I-F-F-P community Rev. Samantha Gonzalez-Block, the Christian spiritual leader. and Rabbi Debbie Reichmann (the Jewish spiritual leader there.
Links: Interfaith Families Project, Sunday Gatherings, Sunday School. Christmas Eve Gathering, 2023.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/20/2023 • 26 minutes, 24 seconds
A new report with few answers about the future of Baltimore's water and sewage system
The Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force may be the most consequential governmental work group you have never heard of.
The group was created through by Maryland General Assembly legislation earlier this year to recommend alternative governance models for Baltimore city’s gigantic water and sewage system.
Last Friday, consultants hired to work with the task force released a draft report of recommendations outlining possible paths forward.
Public comments on the draft report of recommendations are welcome until Friday, January 5, 2024. More information can be found at the county and city websites devoted to the task force.
The report will be reviewed at the task force’s meeting on Jan. 8th before final recommendations are to be made at the end of January to Gov. Wes Moore, the State General Assembly, Mayor Brandon Scott, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and other officials.
Bill Henry, Baltimore city’s Comptroller, chairs the task force. He joined to discuss the draft and what comes next.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/19/2023 • 24 minutes, 20 seconds
A 2023 gift guide for book lovers
Looking for a last-minute gift? How about a book?
Baltimore County librarian Conni Strittmatter shares her suggestions for children and teens, including a sci-fi space drama. Then, Meghan McCorkell of the Enoch Pratt Free Library offers popular picks for adult readers, such as a thriller set in a gothic mansion and a cocktail recipe book!
Books for kids:"Something, Someday," by Amanda Gorman"Dino-Hanukkah," by Lisa Wheeler"How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?" by Mac Barnett"The Story of Gumluck the Wizard," by Adam Rex"Dogtown," by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko"Merry Christmas, Anna Hibiscus!" by Atinuke"The Lost Library," by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass"Max Fernsby and the Infinite Toys," by Gerry Swallow"Winter Crafts Across Cultures: 12 Projects to Celebrate the Season," by Megan Borgert-Spaniol"Love in Winter Wonderland," by Abiola Bello"Star Splitter," by Matthew Kirby
Books for adults:“Let Us Descend,” by Jesmyn Ward"Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus"Iron Flame," by Rebecca Yarros“Day,” by Michael Cunningham“There Should Have Been Eight," Nalini Singh"Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: A Cocktail Recipe Book," by Toni Tipton Martin“13-23," by J.M. Giordano“My Name is Barbra," by Barbra Streisand“Spare,” by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex“The Way Forward," by Yung Pueblo"Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger and Higher Education," by Stephanie LandDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/18/2023 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
Doing good for local goods! Support for Maryland makers
Weavers, jewelers, paper-makers, leather workers, candlemakers, cooks, bakers and more--an array of Maryland makers now fill the shelves of the new store by ‘Shop Made in Maryland.’ We talk to Co-Founder and Chief Localist Stacey Price and Tiera Chin, the owner of Yorktown Spice.
Links: Shop Made in Maryland, Made in Baltimore, Yorktown Spice.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/15/2023 • 18 minutes, 20 seconds
Stoop Story: Out of the comfort zone!
Here's a Stoop Story from Judith Pojda about following your instincts … and being brave enough to see where that takes you.
Hear her story and others, and find the Stoop Podcast at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/15/2023 • 7 minutes, 32 seconds
Baltimore's newest food reporter looks beyond what's on your plate
Where is your favorite place to eat out in Baltimore? The city hosts a food scene as multifaceted and charming as the city itself.
Matti Gellman writes about food and the restaurant industry for our news partner, The Baltimore Banner. But she reports on more than what's on your plate. Gellman's interests include the area's growing food deserts and barriers to food security.
Her perspective is a bit different than many other food writers—in 2021 she learned she had Celiac Disease. The autoimmune disease imposes strict eating habits and affects 2 to 3 million Americans.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/14/2023 • 11 minutes, 37 seconds
How to find, or mix, the perfect mocktail for the holidays
Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, the winter holiday season often augurs a refreshing drink in hand. But alcohol is not an indispensable ingredient for a good time.
Many Americans, around 1 in 3 according to Gallup polling, totally abstain from alcohol.
So what are your options if you are looking for something to drink that is more sophisticated than a soda but less potent than the holiday eggnog.
We ask Darryl Collins, owner of Hopscotch Zero-Proof Bottle Shop in Fells Point.
Collins was profiled by Phillip Muriel in the Baltimore Beat in November. His store sells non-alcoholic beverages of all shapes and sizes.
Later in the show, Joey Breeden and Rani Singh join us in-studio to mix mocktails. The pair are general managers with the Alfred Restaurant Group, which oversees Osteria Pirata, Anchor Tavern and Duck Duck Goose in Fells Point.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/14/2023 • 13 minutes, 3 seconds
Facial recognition technology is here. Can it be trusted?
Law-enforcement agencies, including those in Maryland, are making more use of facial recognition technology. This software attempts to identify human faces by matching images or video from surveillance cameras to massive databases of pictures.
Proponents say it’s an important tool to keep the public safe. Privacy advocates say it’s a dangerous tool, far too likely to misidentify people. Some point to the experience of a Baltimore County man launched into a harrowing ordeal when police used facial recognition technology.
We talk with Eyal Press, who went deep into what happened in the pages of the The New Yorker.
Later in the show, we talk to a critic of facial recognition technology, Samantha Masters. She is with Organizing Black, a community organizing group in Baltimore city.
Photo by Jonathan McIntosh, via Flickr.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/13/2023 • 25 minutes, 38 seconds
Chesapeake Climate Action Network demands dollars from Gov. Moore
Can Maryland cut greenhouse gasses more than half by 2031? Jamie DeMarco, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, tells us why they want Gov. Moore to "Get it Done by '31."
Links: CCAN letter to Gov. Wes Moore, Chesapeake Climate Action Network.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/12/2023 • 8 minutes, 56 seconds
COP28: Negotiating the future of our climate
At the COP 28 UN Climate Change conference in Dubai--the final hours of talks. Gina Castillo, Climate Policy and Research Advisor for Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services was in attendance, along with her colleague Nikki Gamer, Senior Public Affairs Manager for CRS. They give us an update.
Links: UN COP28.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/12/2023 • 24 minutes, 43 seconds
Loosening concealed carry requirements may lead to rise in gun assaults
Last year’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen Supreme Court decision forces some states to remove concealed carry permitting requirements. A recent study used modeling to analyze the consequences. We speak with Daniel Webster, Bloomberg Professor of American Health and Distinguished Research Scholar at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School.Links:Study Finds That Dropping Training Requirement to Obtain Concealed Carry Permit Leads to Significant Increase in Gun AssaultsEvidence concerning the regulation of firearms design, sale, and carrying on fatal mass shootings in the United StatesOfficer‑Involved Shootings and Concealed Carry Weapons Permitting Laws: Analysis of Gun Violence Archive Data, 2014–2020Impact of Changes to Concealed-Carry Weapons Laws on Fatal and Nonfatal Violent Crime, 1980-2019Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/11/2023 • 17 minutes, 11 seconds
A federal appeals court struck down Maryland’s handgun licensing law. What's next?
Maryland’s gun control law--requiring a handgun license--was found unconstitutional by a federal appeals court late last month. The case was heard by a three-judge panel. Now Maryland’s Attorney General Anthony Brown is seeking a rehearing before the entire 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
We speak to Dylan Segelbaum, courts reporter at our news partner The Baltimore Banner.
Links:Maryland AG asks full appeals court to rehear handgun license caseMaryland’s handgun qualification license law was struck down. Here’s what you need to know.Appeals court strikes down Maryland’s gun license law; Gov. Moore vows to fight for measureFederal appeals court finds Maryland handgun qualification law unconstitutionalDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/11/2023 • 6 minutes, 57 seconds
Acme's latest: 'The Lights Went Out Because of a Problem' soothes and haunts
A three-act opera about learning to sing and a lot else: meditating, hanging out, goofing off, healing from trauma and the pandemic. We ask the experimental theater company The Acme Corporation's artistic director Lola B. Pierson about their first show in three years. And composer Allison Clendaniel talks about scoring the show - with music, song and found sounds.
Links: Acme Corporation tickets.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/8/2023 • 15 minutes, 26 seconds
Stoop Story: Represent! Hanukkah, Target, and being seen
Here's a Stoop Story from Shira about the importance of representation, remaining open to conversation, and creating community.
Find information about the next live Stoop Storytelling here, coming up Tuesday Dec. 12 at the Senator Theater.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/8/2023 • 10 minutes, 29 seconds
The future of historic preservation depends on apprenticeships
From rowhomes in Baltimore to tobacco barns in Southern Maryland, the survival of historic buildings depends on training the next generation of masons, carpenters, and roofers.
We speak with preservationists and business owners, and hear about a national initiative to promote jobs in the historic trades.Guests:- Nicholas Redding, president and CEO of Preservation Maryland and The Campaign for Historic Trades- Natalie Henshaw, director of The Campaign for Historic Trades and the owner of Henshaw Preservation, a window restoration and historic masonry company- Darius Johnson, pursuing a graduate degree in preservation at Goucher College in Baltimore County- Mae Bowley, executive director of Re:Purpose Savannah, a nonprofit focused on the salvage and reuse of historic buildingsLearn more:- Labor study on the status of historic trades in the United StatesDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/7/2023 • 25 minutes, 47 seconds
For Baltimore non-profits pandemic funding recedes, need does not
We go On the Record with Kevin Lindamood, CEO of Health Care for the Homeless and Jeff Griffin, executive director of the Franciscan Center. Covid relief funds have ended, but the need for nutritious food, healthcare and housing has not. How are the two nonprofits managing to provide what people need?
Links: Franciscan Center, Franciscan Center Capital Campaign; Health Care for the Homeless -- You can: Support HCH Clinical Teams, Send a personal message (anonymous) of support to staff, Join the HCH team, including December sign-on incentivesDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/6/2023 • 26 minutes, 4 seconds
Rising tides, saltier waters are a challenge for farmers along the Chesapeake Bay
Climate change, driven by human activity, has upset the balance of ecosystems and natural processes the world over.
In the Chesapeake Bay, changes to the natural environment that usually occur over hundreds or thousands of years are taking place in the span of a lifetime. Sea-level rise is causing salty ocean water to crawl farther and farther into the bay and onto nearby coastlands.
Jeremy Cox is a Chesapeake Bay Journal staff writer who has written about saltwater intrusion.
Some of the oldest farmland in the country is on the Delmarva peninsula, and threatened by eroding coast lands and saltwater.
Bob Fitzgerald lives on the Eastern Shore in Somerset County. His family has farmed in the same area for many generations.
And Sarah Hirsh, Ph.D., has been an extension educator for University of Maryland in Somerset County since 2018. Her research and Extension program focuses on soils, conservation and cover crops.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/5/2023 • 24 minutes, 5 seconds
A sixtieth birthday brings conflict, connection in 'Ana Turns'
In a new novel, all the threads of Ana’s life— marital infidelity, a gender-fluid child, tensions with her mother—braid together as she celebrates her sixtieth birthday.
Lisa Gornick’s fifth novel is "Ana Turns." She and Alice McDermott, whose latest novel is "Absolution," will discuss their books in a virtual event on Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. Details here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/4/2023 • 14 minutes, 49 seconds
With critique groups and events, the Maryland Writers' Association brings storytellers together
That gritty crime drama you’ve been drafting in you head for years…or the sci-fi adventure you plot before bed…What will become of them? What does it take to turn an idea into a book?
We speak with Amy Kaplan, president of the Maryland Writers’ Association. She is the author of several books and short stories, including her most recent, a coming-of-age fantasy titled, “The Mark of the Goddess.” Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/4/2023 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
EnChroma glasses open up a world of color
Have you enjoyed splashy fall colors this season? People who are colorblind miss out on some of that autumn bliss. EnChroma glasses allow those with ‘color vision deficiency’ see a fuller spectrum. We ask Don McPherson, inventor of the glasses, how they work -- and learn about a new test for color blindness. You can find the test here.
EnChroma Glasses are available on loan at Brookside Gardens in Montgomery County. More information here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/1/2023 • 19 minutes, 49 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Mike Ricigliano embraces a mistake
Here's a Stoop Story from Mike Ricigliano with the moral: if you can’t fix it, feature it! The next live Stoop show is Tues. Dec. 12, 2023 at the Senator theater. Details are here: ChrismaHanuKwanzakaaFestivus: Stories about the Universal Truths of Holiday CelebrationsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
12/1/2023 • 6 minutes, 8 seconds
A public health perspective on Ukraine; Rep. Hoyer on stalled foreign aid
Though the agonizing conflict in Gaza is in the headlines, the war in Ukraine slogs on. Dr. Boris Lushniak, dean of the University of Maryland School of Public Health--son of Ukrainian immigrants--tells of the mood in the country’s capital. Plus: what’s the outlook for more U.S. assistance? We speak with U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-5th).Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/30/2023 • 24 minutes, 55 seconds
What does Maryland's pre-K expansion mean for the child care industry?
The state's massive education reform package - the Blueprint for Maryland's Future - lays out a plan to expand free pre-kindergarten to low-income families. How will school systems and private childcare providers work together?
We speak with Jennifer Lynch, a member of the Blueprint’s Accountability & Implementation Board, and Chris Peusch, executive director of the Maryland State Child Care Association.
Links:The State of Preschool 2022 - The National Institute for Early Education ResearchBreaking down the Blueprint: Major changes ahead as Maryland plans dramatic expansion of early childhood educationBlueprint Pillar 1: Early Childhood EducationBlueprint for Maryland’s Future: Prekindergarten Implementation PlanningPrekindergarten Expansion and ImprovementsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/29/2023 • 24 minutes, 53 seconds
Policymakers seek more oversight into surveillance, facial recognition technology use
In Maryland, some officials and civil rights advocates are concerned there is not enough oversight of how the city uses increasingly sophisticated surveillance tools such as facial recognition technology.
We talk about policy at the state and local level with Baltimore City Councilman Kristerfer Burnett and State Sen. Charles Sydnor.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/28/2023 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
UBalt research says your laugh can tell a lot!
Eyes and body language can give big clues about how someone really feels. What about their laugh? That holds hidden truths, too. We talk to University of Baltimore researcher Prof. Sally Farley about her findings -- and why a simple laugh can reveal if someone is newly in love …
Links: Article about Farley's recent research, link to Farley's ResearchGate.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/27/2023 • 25 minutes, 16 seconds
'Never Whistle at Night' spotlights dark fiction by Indigenous authors
Twenty-six indigenous writers from the U.S. and Canada -- including one from Maryland--poured stories into a new anthology of dark fiction. Some tales call on the supernatural, some on horrors lived in the real world. It’s called "Never Whistle at Night."
Our guests: Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. co-edited the collection “Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology"Dani Trujillo is an author and one of the project’s contributorsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/24/2023 • 12 minutes, 10 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Kim Worthington
Here is a Stoop Story from Kim Worthington about remaking your life after tragedy.
Want more Stoop? Check out the Stoop podcast.
The next Stoop event is in less than three weeks -- December 12th at the Senator Theater in Baltimore. Storytellers will share tales about the universal truths of holiday celebrations.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/24/2023 • 11 minutes, 40 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Jessica
Here is a Stoop Story from Jessica about an under-dressed guest at Thanksgiving.
The next Stoop Storytelling event is coming up December 12, 2023, at 7 p.m. at the Senator Theatre. Join them for, Chrisma-Hanu-Kwanza-kaa-Festivus: Stories about the Universal Truths of Holiday Celebrations.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/24/2023 • 9 minutes
Digging into Kate Myers' debut novel: "Excavations"
Kate Myers of Annapolis has written a funny, irreverent novel with lots of romantic twists that also unspools a mystery about what’s being excavated at a archeological dig on a sunny Greek island.
We spoke to Myers in last August about her book and the questions it asks about who gets to shape history.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/23/2023 • 18 minutes
Youth crime in Maryland has been falling for a decade. What's behind the recent uptick?
Over the past decade, crimes committed by young people in Maryland fell by fifty percent, according to a recent report by the state Department of Juvenile Services. However, in the aftermath of the pandemic, there’s been a rise in juvenile arrests, and certain categories of crime - like carjackings and handgun violations —have risen steeply. We ask Maryland Secretary of Juvenile Services Vincent Schiraldi what's behind the uptick and what DJS is doing to support at-risk youth.Links:Research Brief- Putting Youth Crime In Maryland in Context Crimes by Maryland youth down over last decade, report findsLawmakers assess whether juvenile services are effective, but law enforcement could help, tooGun violence among juveniles is rising. How do you keep them out of the system?Maryland DJS secretary: ‘Many of the assumptions that society seems to hold about youth violence are wrong.’ Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/22/2023 • 16 minutes, 47 seconds
Series on Baltimore after-school programs highlights efforts to entertain, keep kids safe
A rich web of nonprofits serves young people in Baltimore, working in schools and neighborhoods to keep kids engaged in positive activities. We speak with Bri Hatch, who covers education for WYPR, about a new collaborative journalism project to examine the challenges and successes experienced by young people in our region.Links:Baltimore nonprofit aims to curb youth crime with citywide after-school programsBudding Baltimore nonprofit helps youth realize their untapped potentialDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/22/2023 • 9 minutes, 8 seconds
TALMAR: Nature-based socializing and learning for people with disabilities
Nestled in northeast Baltimore County lies TALMAR: a haven of farmland, woods and soothing sounds. It’s a place people with disabilities can go for socializing, rejuvenating and hands-on horticulture therapy. We meet executive director Kate Joyce, and then stop by for visit with some folks who have been regulars for years!
Links: TALMAR, Sensory-friendly Santa, TALMAR Christmas Tree fundraiser.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/21/2023 • 25 minutes, 3 seconds
Local athletes overcome obstacles on the field and off
Access is key, and athletes often encounter obstacles to competing in the sport they love.
Lacrosse has grown in popularity in recent years, but some fans say the sport has a problem. A Baltimore lacrosse organization is trying to change the sport. We speak with Coach Lloyd Carter, one of the founders of Blax Lax.
And the Kennedy Krieger Institute’s adaptive sports program, the Bennett Blazers, brings together young people with disabilities interested in a range of sports. We speak with Landon Brown, a longtime member of the team, and Coach Gerry Herman, who has managed the Bennett Blazers program since it started in 1990.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/20/2023 • 24 minutes, 26 seconds
Everyone is welcome at the Baltimore American Indian Center Pow Wow
Drums like a heartbeat, voices rising in unison, dancers adorned with beads, feathers and bone. The Baltimore American Indian Center’s 47th annual Pow Wow is this weekend. We get a preview from Christine Duckworth-Oxendine (Lumbee) and Louis Campbell (Blackfoot and Lumbee) both Northern Traditional dancers and educators at BAIC.
Links: Baltimore American Indian Center 47th Annual Pow Wow Sat. Nov. 18, Baltimore American Indian Center, Holiday Sponsorship for Native Youth, Native American Lifelines Community Feast Potluck, Nov. 25.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/17/2023 • 24 minutes, 31 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Dave Reichley goes all in to help a neighbor
Here's a Stoop Story from Dave Reichley about the time he helped some neighbors out -- no matter how big the job! You can hear his story and others at Stoopstorytelling.com Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/17/2023 • 5 minutes, 30 seconds
Makeover plans for Downtown Baltimore; Where's my car?
Seems like everyone has ideas about how to improve Charm City … from the cosmetic to new construction. We ask Shelonda Stokes, head of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, and Faith Leach, Baltimore City Chief Administration Officer, to walk us through the new Downtown RISE plans. Plus, what’s the worst neighborhood for car thefts in Baltimore?
Links: Downtown RISE, Baltimore Banner auto theft map, Baltimore Banner reporting on auto theft.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/16/2023 • 26 minutes, 1 second
R. Eric Thomas writes with humor and wit in his latest book, 'Congratulations, the Best is Over!'
R. Eric Thomas writes wry, perceptive essays about things that seem more amusing in his life than they do in yours. He grew up in West Baltimore -- but moving back after more than a decade away triggered stress and latent depression -- as well as some very funny episodes.
We spoke to the author in September about his new book, "Congratulations, the Best is Over!"Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/15/2023 • 25 minutes, 23 seconds
Maryland Poet Laureate Lucille Clifton inspires local dance company
A new collaboration weaves together the artistry of a local modern dance company and the pithy lyricism of Maryland’s former poet laureate. This weekend will see the premiere of “And Still, We Dream,” by Full Circle Dance Company. The show’s centerpiece is inspired by the work of the late Maryland Poet Laureate and Baltimore resident Lucille Clifton.
We speak with Donna Jacobs, the founder and artistic director of Full Circle Dance Company, and Sidney Clifton, the daughter of Lucille Clifton and founder of The Clifton House, a space for emerging writers, artists, and activists.
Full Circle Dance Company will present “And Still, We Dream,” this Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm at the Baltimore Theatre Project. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/14/2023 • 24 minutes, 30 seconds
The trials and triumphs of single motherhood
Tracing the picture over decades, the U.S. Census Bureau finds that of Baltimore households with children, more than half are single-parent families. Growing up in a single-parent household struggling paycheck to paycheck can be tough for a young child.
Leslie Gray Streeter is the author of a new series of columns for the Baltimore Banner about being a single mother. She joins us to talk about facing stigma and uncertainty while raising her young son.
Then we're joined by Danielle Staton, Executive Director of the Jeremiah Program in Baltimore.
The Jeremiah Program seeks to address the struggles of single-parent households with programming looking to help both mothers and their children succeed.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/13/2023 • 24 minutes, 21 seconds
Stoop Story: Gwen Mayes
Here’s a Stoop Story from Gwen Mayes about lessons she’s learned living with a chronic illness.
Find out more about upcoming Stoop Storytelling events on their website.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/10/2023 • 12 minutes, 58 seconds
Essential Tease invites Baltimore to climb onstage and join the burlesque show
Burlesque performances are lively experiences often featuring jazzy, sultry music, flashy costumes and bawdy striptease.
And now, you too can climb on stage and learn how to perform burlesque.
Local burlesque performer Jacqueline Boxx, an instructor with Essential Tease, joins the show to talk about the art of burlesque and the classes she helped design to introduce newcomers to the performance style.
Find more information about registration for Spring 2024 classes, including scholarships and the upcoming ticket releases, on their website.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/10/2023 • 13 minutes, 39 seconds
'Touching the Art' author explores her grandmother's love and denial
Growing up Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore adored her grandmother Gladys Goldstein -- not for her acclaim as an abstract artist, but because she nurtured young Mattilda’s creativity. That all changed when Mattilda came out as gender queer. She explains in her memoir: "Touching the Art."
Links: Ivy Bookshop talk 11.13.23.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/9/2023 • 26 minutes, 21 seconds
The risks and benefits of weight loss drugs; links between dementia and isolation
We ask two Johns Hopkins doctors about their topics in the upcoming seminars called “A Woman’s Journey.” Thousands of Americans are turning to a new era of weight-loss drugs. What are the risks and benefits? We ask Dr. Selvi Rajagopal, who is part of the clinical faculty of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine’s division of internal medicine.
Plus, people who are socially isolated are at greater risk for dementia; what could help? Dr. Thomas Cudjoe is an assistant professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins whose work focuses on geriatrics and gerontology. He shares his insights.
"A Woman's Journey" will be held on Saturday, November 18th at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Details here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/8/2023 • 24 minutes, 54 seconds
MD veterans healthcare moves vets beyond military sexual trauma
About one in three women in the military -- and one in 50 men -- experience sexual assault or harassment. We hear from Dr. Christine Calmes, a Veterans Administration doctor, about specialized treatment. Then Erica Carpenter and Dr. Paula Smith-Benson, two women vets who overcame the trauma, talk about their experience and how they use their strength to help survivors thrive.
Links: MD Veterans Healthcare, Dr. Calmes, head of Military Sexual Trauma program can be reached at 410-637-1231, Veterans Crisis line / call 988 press option 1Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/7/2023 • 26 minutes, 32 seconds
Rep. Sarbanes's priorities in his last term; Harborplace redesign and other city headlines
Why is Democrat John Sarbanes leaving Congress after nine terms? What will he focus on during his last 14 months in public office? Plus: Baltimore Banner reporter Adam Willis on redrawing city-council districts and an ambitious plan to reimagine the Inner Harbor.
Read:Harborplace developer pitches 900 residential units, rooftop park at Inner HarborSafe Streets staffer charged, Belair-Edison operations suspended following FBI raidCity Council approves Baltimore redistricting map, countering mayor’s proposalDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/6/2023 • 26 minutes, 7 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Jeffrey Kent
Listen in to a Stoop Story from artist and curator-in-Residence at The Peale Jeffrey Kent about how he found himself along the road to becoming an artist.
You can hear his story and others at Stoop Storytelling's website.
The next Stoop live event is next Thursday, November 9th, at the Whitehall Mill in Baltimore; it’s titled “Not Gonna Work for Me: Stories about Horrible Bosses, Quiet Quitting, and Career Reinventions.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/3/2023 • 7 minutes, 49 seconds
Baltimore's rich native arts showcased in Indigenous Art Gallery
Charm City is blessed with a vibrant arts and culture scene.
Now, Baltimore Center stage and Baltimore American Indian Center team up to add to that bounty with a gallery to showcase local Indigenous arts.
We hear about the inaugural Indigenous Art Gallery exhibit from Annalisa Dias, who directs ‘Artistic Partnerships and Innovation’ at Baltimore Center Stage. She is a Goan-American artist and co-founder of the non-profit ‘Groundwater Arts.’
Also with us was Ashley Minner Jones, a community-based visual artist in Baltimore who is an enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/3/2023 • 17 minutes, 28 seconds
Maryland officials band together to reduce racial disparities in incarceration
It’s the highest disparity of any state in the union: about 30 percent of Maryland’s residents are African-American. Yet African Americans are 71 percent of those behind bars.
A new partnership between the Maryland Attorney General and Maryland Public Defender, called the "Maryland Equitable Justice Collaborative," takes aim at reducing mass incarceration of African Americans in Maryland.
We speak with Attorney General Anthony Brown and Maryland Public Defender Natasha Dartigue about the MEJC's goals.
The MEJC will hold a public forum on November 6th in Baltimore. Details here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/2/2023 • 24 minutes, 45 seconds
Israel and Gaza through Marylander's eyes: Trauma and healing
Local clergy Rabbi Daniel Cotzin Burg traveled to Israel on a listening and solidarity mission. He bore witness to massacre sites and met with families of those taken hostage - we hear how they cope as they await news. The we hear from Sumayyah Bilal and Rebekka Paisner, two friends who bring their Jewish and Muslim communities together in Baltimore in hopes of fostering empathy and understanding.
Links: Towards Wholeness, Sun. Nov. 5 at 4:30p.; Visions of Peace on Nov. 8 at 6:30pm at the Muslim Cultural Center of Baltimore.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
11/1/2023 • 25 minutes, 41 seconds
Humanitarian crisis in Gaza: From global efforts to local pain
Food, water and medical supplies are trickling into Gaza as the war persists. Are humanitarian aid groups able to meet the need? We ask Sean Callahan, the head of Catholic Relief Services, what he’s hearing from workers on the ground. Plus, what is Laila El-Haddad, a local Palestinian journalist, hearing from her relatives in Gaza?
Links: Catholic Relief Services, 10 Things You Should Know About the Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/31/2023 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
Air pollution plagues many in Maryland. Here's how that can change.
Car exhaust, industrial waste and forest fires are well-known sources of air pollution which can negatively impact human health. But a group of lesser-known air polluters hit closer to home; residential or commercial gas furnaces, water heaters and other heating and cooling systems.
A new report from an array of environmental justice advocates highlights air pollution emitted by Maryland residential and commercial buildings. The report is titled, Cutting Through The Smog: How Air Quality Standards Help Solve The Hidden Health Toll Of Air Pollution From Maryland’s Homes And Businesses.
Our guest Ruth Ann Norton is one of the report's authors. Norton is CEO and President of The Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, a nonprofit working to improve health and energy efficiency standards. Visit GHHI's website for more information on home environmental health, safety and energy efficiency.
Also with us is Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, a pulmonary and critical care medicine physician, and an associate professor of pulmonary medicine at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a member of the BREATHE Center at Hopkins, a group of scientists and doctors who advocate for lung health.
The pair recently wrote a column for the Baltimore Banner about solutions for the growing detriments of poor air quality.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/30/2023 • 26 minutes, 45 seconds
Stoop Story: Nikayah Fayson on moving to Charm City
Here's a Stoop Story from Nikayah Fayson about finding the joy in Baltimore’s unique cultural landscape after moving to Baltimore in high school.
Interested in attending a Stoop Storytelling live? The next Stoop event is Nov. 9 at the Whitehall Mill in Baltimore, and is titled “Not Gonna Work for Me: Stories about Horrible Bosses, Quiet Quitting, and Career Reinventions.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/27/2023 • 8 minutes, 20 seconds
Baltimore illustrator assembles "The League of Lady Poisoners"
A new book explores the a league of dangerous women through history.
Lisa Perrin, professor in the illustration department at the Maryland Institute College of Art, wrote and illustrated The League of Lady Poisoners. The elegantly illustrated book is about women known for poisoning people throughout history.
In addition to her work as an illustrator, she is an award-winning designer, entrepreneur and educator. Her work has been recognized by The Society of Illustrators, American Illustration, 3 by 3 Magazine and Print Magazine.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/27/2023 • 18 minutes, 22 seconds
Sewing new skills and friendships in Howard County
The ready-to-wear clothing industry nearly killed the appetite -- and the need -- for home sewing. At Leona’s Sewing Studio colorful fabrics, humming machines and constant camaraderie have helped create a revival of the nearly lost art. We hear from founder Ireatha Leona Woods and three of her students: Brenda Squirrell, Nichelle Midon and Lori Ferrara.
Links: Leona's Sewing Studio, Future Designers of America, Custom Wedding Designs,BMI's Redefining IndustryDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/26/2023 • 24 minutes, 49 seconds
The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy. What does this mean for survivors of clergy abuse?
The Child Victims Act lifts the statute of limitations on when sexual abuse victims may sue perpetrators. Steven J. Kelly is a principal at the law firm Grant & Eisenhofer. He represents some of the first-to-file plaintiffs. We hear their stories.
Plus, what does the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s bankruptcy filing mean for survivors of clergy abuse? We speak with Professor Pamela Foohey of Cardozo School of Law, who argues that the process pushes survivors into settlements. With Christopher Odinet of Iowa College of Law, Foohey recently published the article, “Silencing Litigation Through Bankruptcy,” in the Virginia Law Review. Links:Baltimore Archdiocese bankruptcy brings new time crunch for alleged victimsArchbishop Lori’s Message on Chapter 11What’s a creditor’s committee? 7 abuse victims to negotiate for all in Archdiocese of Baltimore bankruptcyDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/25/2023 • 25 minutes, 12 seconds
Pass the Mic: Teaching the truth about African American history and culture
Why has teaching African American history become politicized -- and what must be done to make sure the true stories are told?
Today we 'Pass the Mic' to Terri Freeman, head of the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. She asks Dr. Edwin T. Johnson Chairman of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture and historian and archivist at Morgan State University, about the role cultural institutions play in correcting the rampant inaccuracies about African American history.
Then spoken word artist Lady Brion recounts West Baltimore's Pennsylvania Avenue famous past and offers an update on the Pennsylvania Avenue Black Arts and Entertainment District, for which she is executive director.
Links: Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History and Culture. Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, Pennsylvania Avenue, Black Arts and Entertainment District ,Banneker-Douglass Museum, National Museum of African American History and Culture.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 6 seconds
Nervous about letting your child use social media apps? Try mentoring, not monitoring.
Sharing and messaging through social media apps is the modern version of passing a note in class. It’s how kids communicate. We speak parenting and technology expert Devorah Heitner about setting healthy boundaries for Internet use while giving children space to explore. Her latest book is, "Growing Up In Public: Coming Of Age In A Digital World.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/23/2023 • 25 minutes, 17 seconds
A Spooky Story from the Stoop: Sean MacDonald
Here's a ghostly Stoop Story from Sean MacDonald.
The next Stoop event is November 9th at Whitehall Mill in Baltimore. The theme is “Not Gonna Work for Me: Stories about Horrible Bosses, Quiet Quitting, and Career Reinventions.” Want more Stoop? Listen to the Stoop podcast. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/20/2023 • 10 minutes, 12 seconds
Frederick author Michelle Jabès Corpora on 'Holly Horror,' a supernatural tale for teens
Evie Archer is the new girl in town, and her aging home holds a dark secret. We ask Frederick author Michelle Jabès Corpora: will spirits from beyond help Evie solve a decades-old mystery … or claim her as their next victim? This supernatural thriller for teens is titled, " Holly Horror."Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/20/2023 • 16 minutes, 33 seconds
Small but powerful, Maryland's oysters make a comeback
At its peak in the late 1800s, the Chesapeake Bay produced more oysters than almost anywhere else in the world. During the twentieth century, however, oyster populations in the bay plummeted to a tiny fraction of their former levels.
And 5 years ago—in 2018— a Maryland Department of Natural Resources assessment of the state’s waters found the oyster population had shrunk in half in less than twenty years.
But there is recent good news for the bay's oysters. Last week, Gov. Wes Moore announced that Maryland and its partners would plant more than 1.7. *billion* new juvenile oysters--a new one-year record for oyster planting in the Chesapeake Bay.
The new oysters are primarily grown at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science’s Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge.
Matthew Gray is an assistant professor at that laboratory, which hosts one of the largest oyster hatcheries on the east coast. He joins the show to discuss oysters and their habitat.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/19/2023 • 12 minutes
Do Baltimore's 'Ghost Rivers' flow through your neighborhood?
There is a hidden world buried beneath your feet.
As you walk to work or drive to the grocery store, you crisscross a network of hidden streams and rivers beneath Baltimore’s concrete surface.
Now, a new public art installation and walking tour seeks to pull back the pavement on Baltimore’s underground waterways. Ghost Rivers is a series of installations, wayfinding markers, and writings that took several years of research and preparation.
Bruce Willen is the artist behind the project, and also the founder of design studio Public Mechanics.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony for Ghost Rivers is 5 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2023 in the Remington neighborhood of Baltimore city. More information at GhostRivers.org.
And listen in to this archived episode of Maryland Curiosity Bureau, where host Aaron Henkin learned more about Baltimore's hidden streams and rivers.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/19/2023 • 12 minutes, 21 seconds
Manifesting and documenting peace in Baltimore
Many people only see a crime-ridden, violent version of Baltimore City. We hear from photographer J.M. Giordano and Baltimore Peace Movement co-founder Letrice Gant, who are dedicated to helping citizens understand and embrace the truth: there is much more at work than that same old narrative.
Links: Baltimore Peace Movement, Peace Weekend Nov. 3-5, Sat. 10.21 Lost Weekend Book fest talk for ‘13 to 23: How a Summer of Violence Led to a Decade of Activism.'Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/18/2023 • 26 minutes
Maryland's veterans secretary on suicide prevention; Training service dogs for service members
Preventing suicide among veterans is personal for state Secretary of Veteran Affairs’ Anthony Woods. He lost his mother, an Air Force veteran, to suicide five years ago. We hear how Woods is expanding the reach of mental-health services. Read Woods' commentary in the Baltimore Banner.
The Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7 at 988. Veterans can dial 988 and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
Plus, Warrior Canine Connection enlists veterans to train service dogs for service members. We speak with WCC founder Rick Yount, and Tina Houser, a U.S. Army veteran who was matched with her service dog, Erik, a year ago. Learn how to become a WCC puppy parent.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/17/2023 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
AI could revolutionize healthcare. But are we ready?
There once was a time when “artificial intelligence” existed only in the pages of science fiction.
Now, you hear about AI everywhere; AI-generated images, art and video, AI writing cover letters and college essays.
But how would you feel about artificial intelligence making decisions about your health?
This emerging technology is being used more and more in healthcare, from analyzing test results to shaping decisions about patient care.
We talk with Mark Gladwin about the implications of artificial intelligence technology in healthcare. Gladwin is the Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Maryland-Baltimore.
We also speak to Lauren Rhue, an Assistant Professor of Information Systems at the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland-College Park where she researches the use of emerging digital technology, including AI, in the commercial sector.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/16/2023 • 26 minutes, 9 seconds
Pass the kinklings, please! A taste of 'Festive Maryland Recipes'
White Potato pie, stuffed ham, blintzes, oyster stew! 'Festive Maryland Recipes: Holiday traditions from the Old Line State' mixes food with colorful graphics and stories to create a celebration of yesteryear. Author Kara Mae Harris gives us a taste!
Links: Event: Pratt Test Kitchen with Kara Mae Harris, Old Line Plate blog. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/13/2023 • 14 minutes, 21 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Chef John Shields follows the path to his dream job
Here's a Stoop Story from Gertrude's Restaurant co-founder Chef John Shields about the courage of blazing your path but then following the detour that delivers your dreams.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/13/2023 • 11 minutes, 47 seconds
Three months in, Maryland's adult-use cannabis sales grow, while medical sales decline
Since recreational cannabis became legal July 1, Marylanders are spending millions on cannabis products every day.
Adult-use sales topped $54 million in September, while medical cannabis sales fell slightly between August and September.
We ask Will Tilburg, acting director of the Maryland Cannabis Administration, what products are selling most, how new licenses will expand the business, and who is watching for any impact on teenagers.
Links:MCA Data and ReportsSocial Equity VerificationCannabis Business Assistance FundMaryland Office of Social Equity - Technical AssistanceDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/12/2023 • 26 minutes, 19 seconds
War in Gaza analysis; Why revenge is never a solution
Israel is at war with Hamas. Hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians are dead, and Hamas is holding civilian hostages. We ask Middle East analysts Marc Lynch, and Laura Blumenfeld: What should we expect from this conflict? How does revenge fuel emotions, and what happens when leaders pursue justice at any cost?
Links: Israel's One-State Reality, Gaza and Israel: Five Things to Watch, Let's Get American Revenge, Revenge: A Story of HopeDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/11/2023 • 25 minutes, 7 seconds
Belly up to the bar at BMI and get schooled in art history at BMA!
Art and history lovers get ready: a new show at Baltimore Museum of Industry dives into the late-nineteenth-early- twentieth century role of the neighborhood corner bar. And the Baltimore Museum of Art turns ideas about male-dominated artmaking on their head in 'Making Her Mark.’
Links: 'The Neighborhood Corner Bar' at BMI, 'Making Her Mark' at BMA, BMI neighborhood bar walking tour, Corner Bar author event, Baltimore Heritage 5-minute history of Baltimore neighborhood bars, BMA Art After Hours, Art and Object article about Making Her Mark.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/10/2023 • 25 minutes, 18 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Kerry Pray on unconventional family
Here's a Stoop Story from Kerry Prayer about embracing the unconventional in the pursuit of love and family.
The next LIVE Stoop event takes place Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. at the American Visionary Arts Museum. The theme: ‘Creating Art, Creating Change: Stories About Art as a Tool for Social Justice.’Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/6/2023 • 8 minutes, 46 seconds
Laughter, and a bit of song, help musical duo along road to recovery
It is news no one is prepared to receive. In 2015, artist Marcy Marxer got a call from her doctor. Marxer had breast cancer.
The ups and downs of treatment, recovery, plus a lot of funny stuff in between, are captured in a new production called All Wigged Out: The Musical.
Marxer and her wife and musical accomplice Cathy Fink take a candid, humorous and lyrical approach to the story of diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
The pair are Grammy Award-winners with a musical career that spans more than 35 years. They back their vocal harmonies with guitar, five-string banjo, ukulele, mandolin, cello-banjo and other instruments.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/6/2023 • 16 minutes, 51 seconds
What do Americans understand about climate change; Plus, how to alleviate eco-anxiety
Climate change is real. But what do Americans really understand about it -- and about the best actions to combat it? We hear from researchers Prof. Michael Hanmer and Prof. Deb Niemeier about the results from a University of Maryland/Center for Democratic Engagement-Washington Post poll. What they learned may surprise you.
Plus, psychotherapist Dr. Heidi Schreiber-Pan draws on the healing powers of nature to treat eco-anxiety.
Links: Center for Democratic Engagement, CDE + Washington Post Poll ; Information about treating eco-anxiety, The Center for Nature Informed Therapy.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/5/2023 • 26 minutes, 5 seconds
Out-of-network, no appointments: the challenge of finding mental health and substance use care
Finding treatment for mental illness or substance abuse is difficult: in-network providers who are accepting new patients are scarce. We ask psychiatrist Dr. Henry Harbin about how to boost access to behavioral health care.
Read the report: Equitable Access to Mental Health and Substance Use Care: An Urgent Need
Then, finding drug treatment can be challenging. A community center in Elkton works 24/7 to make it happen. We speak with Jennifer Romano, a certified peer recovery specialist and manager of Voices of Hope - Cecil.
This program originally aired on August 3, 2023.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/4/2023 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
Looking for lessons in the leaders and battles of the American Civil War
Two new books bridge the years since the Civil War.
Steve Inskeep, cohost of NPR's Morning Edition, writes of the cunning and affability of Abraham Lincoln. Avoiding the well-tread ground of Lincoln's story, Inskeep instead writes of the President's relationships with friends and family, critics and rivals. The book, Inskeep's fourth, is called in Differ We Must: How Lincoln Succeeded in a Divided America.
Then, historian Scott Hartwig leads us onto battlefield during the bloodiest day in American history.
Hartwig investigated the Maryland Campaign of the Civil War for decades. He worked in the National Park Service for 34 years as an interpretive ranger, and was supervisory historian at Gettysburg National Military Park.
His book is I Dread the Thought of the Place: The Battle of Antietam and the End of the Maryland Campaign.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/3/2023 • 26 minutes, 32 seconds
Amid mental health crisis in young people, men lack 'tool kit' needed to thrive
There is a quiet epidemic sweeping through young people across the nation. By many markers, the mental health for adolescents and young adults is poor and getting worse. Mental health is a problem for many Americans, but we are focusing on the wellbeing of young people, particularly men. What can be done to help them lead happy, healthy lives in society?
Andrew Reiner is a lecturer at Towson University, where he teaches writing, men’s studies and cultural studies. He has also published a book, Better Boys, Better Men, and written for The New York Times, The Washington Post and other publications about masculinity and mental health.
Plus, we talk with a mentor working with young men in Baltimore. The nonprofit ‘Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood’ began in 1996 to help young men navigate the dangerous waters of adolescence.
Imhotep Simba is an alumnus, and now a mentor, in Mentoring Male Teens in the Hood.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
10/2/2023 • 26 minutes, 18 seconds
Mammoth-sized news for the Natural History Society of Maryland
BIG news for the Natural History Society of Maryland -- like, Mammoth-sized news. A Woolly Mammoth skeleton is headed here … with lectures and events preceding its arrival. We ask Prof. Charles Breeze and Prof. Hali Kilbourne about where it came from, and why some researchers hope to revive the species.
Links: Mammoth master classes at NHSM, upcoming Woolly Mammoth events at NHSM, Oct. 5 lecture with Prof. Hali Kilbourne, Climate Fluctuations of the Pleistocene. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/29/2023 • 13 minutes
Bailes de Mi Tierra celebrates traditional Mexican folk dances. Plus, building a coalition of Latino-serving nonprofits.
Dance, music, colorful costumes! How is the Mexican folk dance group Bailes de Mi Tierra preserving cultural traditions and passing them onto younger generations? We speak with founder José Reyes. The group is celebrating its 15th anniversary next month. You can see Bailes de Mi Tierra perform this Saturday at 2 pm at Hereford Public Library on York Road in Baltimore County. Find other performances here.
Then, Maryland Latinos Unidos brings together businesses, nonprofits, and individuals serving the state's Latino and immigrant communities. We speak with Executive Director Gabriela Lemus about pandemic recovery and raising up the next generation of Latino leaders.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/28/2023 • 18 minutes, 52 seconds
National rise in book bans and restrictions come to Maryland
In her introduction to a 1996 edition of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the author Toni Morrison wrote of efforts to ban the book from library shelves because of its offensive language.
“It struck me as a purist, yet elementary, kind of censorship designed to appease adults rather than educate children," Morrison wrote. "Amputate the problem, band-aid the solution.”
Morrison’s own books have faced calls for removal. This month, Morrison’s first novel, The Bluest Eye, was among more than 50 books taken off Carroll County public school library bookshelves amidst a national surge in calls for book bans.
The American Library Association reported a 20 percent surge in challenges to various books in 2023 over 2022--the year the ALA counted the highest number of book challenges since it started collecting data more than 20 years ago.
Our guest Kristen Griffith is covering this story for our news partner The Baltimore Banner.
We are also joined by Tiff Sutherland, a librarian at Calvert Library in Prince Frederick, Maryland. Sutherland is also president of the Maryland Library Association.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/27/2023 • 18 minutes, 33 seconds
Charm City Fringe Festival provides playground for theater creatives and their audiences
What is ‘Fringe’? Fancy trimmings that sparkle and shimmer? Or something ‘out there’ and edgy? Both concepts fit the Charm City Fringe Festival!
We hear from Fringe Fest lead Zach Michel, and from playwright Josh Wilder, to get a preview!
Links: Charm City Fringe Festival, "Who Gave Sylvia the Bottle?" at CCFF, Playwrights Workshop, Launch party at Le Mondo
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/26/2023 • 15 minutes, 54 seconds
The James Webb Space Telescope celebrates a year in service to human curiosity
Orbiting a million miles from earth, The James Webb Space Telescope is humanity’s newest eye onto the cosmos.
In its first year of exploration, the Webb telescope captured dazzling images of the universe—cosmic cliffs, ghostly nebulas and stars from the farthest reaches of the universe.
What’s in store for the Webb telescope?
Astrophysicist Macarena Garcia Marin is European Space Agency Instrument Scientist and Project Scientist in the Webb Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Nestor Espinoza is an Assistant Astronomer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, where he applies the Webb’s cutting-edge instruments to the study of exoplanets.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/25/2023 • 18 minutes, 48 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Julie Mendez learns about love
Here's a Stoop Story from Julie Mendez about playing the long game for love. You can find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including upcoming live events and the Stoop podcast, at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/22/2023 • 7 minutes, 21 seconds
'Kin: Rooted in Hope' tells a family's history shaped by enslavement and freedom on the Eastern Shore
Carole Boston Weatherford, and her son, Jeffrey, team up to create an illustrated novel in verse. "Kin: Rooted in Hope," goes deep into a family’s history from slavery into liberty. The poems conjure many voices from as many perspectives--a powerful portrait shaped by enslavement and freedom.
Links: Ivy Bookshop event Sat. Sept. 23. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/22/2023 • 10 minutes, 30 seconds
Acting BPD Commissioner Worley will appear before a City Council committee tonight. What questions does he need to answer?
The next step in Richard Worley’s path to being confirmed as Baltimore’s 41st police commissioner comes tonight, when the City Council’s Rules and Legislative Oversight Committee will consider his nomination. We speak with Justin Fenton, an investigative reporter at The Baltimore Banner, about Worley's proposed contract and his predecessor's legacy.
Plus, what are residents of Central West Baltimore looking for in the next chief of police? We ask Ashiah Parker, executive director of the No Boundaries Coalition. On Tuesday, September 26th at Baltimore Unity Hall, No Boundaries will hold, "Changing the Narrative: Addressing Gun Violence in 21217."
The confirmation hearing before the City Council’s Committee on Rules and Legislative Oversight is scheduled for 5 p.m. It’s open to the public. The full City Council is expected to vote on Worley Oct. 2nd.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/21/2023 • 18 minutes, 41 seconds
Change in the air? A push for offshore wind energy in Maryland
Gov. Wes Moore, and several prominent legislators, have signaled that wind energy is an important part of Maryland's renewable energy goals. Last April, Moore signed the POWER Act at Tradepoint Atlantic, where several companies plan to build the parts needed for offshore wind turbines. The POWER Act established one of the nation’s most aggressive offshore wind goals, four times the offshore wind capacity currently approved.
We are joined by the primary sponsor of the POWER Act, Delegate Lorig Charkoudian of Montgomery County.
Later in the show, we speak with US Wind's CEO Jeff Grybowski. US Wind is one of two companies currently developing hundreds of acres of offshore wind turbines near Maryland's coast.
(Photo by London Rachel, Via Wikimedia)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/20/2023 • 26 minutes, 30 seconds
New Maryland law will allow child sexual abuse survivors to seek justice years after the crime
It may take years for people who were sexually abused as children to come to grips with what happened and decide how to move forward. Until now, if they were past age 38, Maryland law ruled out suing alleged abusers. What will be the effect of new law that wipes out the statute of limitations? The Child Victims Act of 2023 goes into effect on October 1st.
We speak with Delegate C.T. Wilson, who championed this change, and Lisae Jordan, executive director and counsel at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA).
Resources:Find a Rape Crisis and Recovery Center near youMCASA’s Sexual Assault Legal Institute (SALI)RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline - 1-800-656-4673Call 211 for resources in MarylandDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/19/2023 • 26 minutes, 9 seconds
Pass the Mic: Baltimore Teachers Union works to expand their reach
We Pass the Mic to Diamonté Brown, Baltimore Teachers Union president. She and her guests, education associate Chris Patterson and Chicago Teachers Union president Stacy Davis Gates, discuss what it means to expand teacher advocacy and ‘bargain for the common good.'
What does it look like to bargain for things like better housing and healthcare that will benefit everyone inside and outside the classroom?Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/18/2023 • 26 minutes, 15 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Ashley Minner Jones cherishes the memory of her grandmother
Here's a Stoop Story from artist, historian and Lumbee tribe member Ashley Minner Jones about why her grandmother’s spirit stays with her to this day. You can hear her story and others at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/15/2023 • 8 minutes, 20 seconds
Indigenous Arts Gallery showcases Baltimore's rich Native Arts
Charm City is blessed with a vibrant arts and culture scene. Now Baltimore Center stage and Baltimore American Indian Center team up and add to that bounty -- with a gallery to showcase local Indigenous arts. We hear about the inaugural Indigenous Art Gallery exhibit! Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/15/2023 • 17 minutes, 27 seconds
Toss your boss to the curb. What happens when workers take over?
A beloved coffee spot in Hampden faced a sudden closure in July, catching both staff and customers by surprise. But that wasn’t the end of Common Ground Bakery Café; its workers are coming together to reopen later this month as a co-op. Co-ops flip the model on the typical business model. So how do they work?
Christa Daring is the Executive Director of the Baltimore Roundtable for Economic Democracy. The nonprofit advises and provides financial support for fledgling co-ops in the Baltimore area.
Also with us is Jake Urtes, a worker-owner at Common Ground Bakery Café. The coffee shop and gathering place closed this summer after 25 years but is reopening later this fall.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/14/2023 • 25 minutes, 19 seconds
The African American heroes of the Battle of Baltimore; Bmore Historic's 'unconference' approach
Two hundred-nine years ago, Fort McHenry withstood 25 hours of bombing by the British. We speak with Robert Stewart, assistant superintendent for Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, about the African American heroes of Defenders' Day.
Join National Park Service rangers and the fifes and drums of the Fort McHenry Guard for a parade on Friday, September 15th at 7 pm through Locust Point. Check out the full schedule of events. Learn more about the Battle of Baltimore.
Then, Bmore Historic does away with the trappings of stuffy conventions; instead, those who attend suggest topics and vote on them! We speak with Nicole King, director of UMBC’s Orser Center for the Study of Place, Community, and Culture, and Kate Drabinski, director of UMBC’s Women Involved in Learning and Leadership program. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/13/2023 • 25 minutes, 41 seconds
'Fires in the Dark' traces the tangled roots of psychotherapy
Psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison broke barriers when she wrote three decades ago about her own experience with manic-depressive illness. After many other books, Jamison has now published what she calls a “lovesong” to psychotherapy--how it developed, and why it works, when it works.
Links: Kay Redfield Jamison, Balm in Gilead, a lecture by Prof. Jamison, Fires in the DarkDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/12/2023 • 25 minutes, 54 seconds
Empowering Maryland's next generation of climate leaders
The Youth Climate Institute, created by the Howard County Conservancy, is preparing Maryland's next generation of environmental leaders. How does the course cover the science and social ramifications of climate change? We speak with Executive Director Meg Boyd and Jessica Kohout, a former high-school biology teacher and manager of the Youth Climate Institute.
Then, two high school students share their passion for climate justice and solutions. We hear from YCI participants Sanjana Ranasinghe, a senior at Urbana High School, and James Obasiolu, a junior at Atholton High School.
Learn more about starting a YCI chapter.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/11/2023 • 24 minutes, 58 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Ellis Marsalis III
Here is Stoop story from Ellis Marsalis III about trading card commerce.
The next Stoop show is next Thursday, September 14th at Manor Mill. The theme is, "The One That Got Away: Stories of Lost Loves, Fish, and Other Missed Opportunities." Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/8/2023 • 5 minutes, 24 seconds
Baltimore City conducted an internal probe into the Brooklyn Day mass shooting. What did it find?
Poor planning, too few connections in the community, not enough patrolling. An internal “after-action report” says these factors contributed to July’s mass shooting in Brooklyn, which killed two. What will police do to prevent such tragedies? We speak with WYPR reporter Emily Hofstaedter, who’s been closely following the Brooklyn shooting and its aftermath, and Ben Conark, criminal justice reporter for our news partner, The Baltimore Banner.
Links:City of Baltimore Releases Agency After-Action Reports Following Mass Shooting at Brooklyn HomesBaltimore recommends “leadership changes” for BPD in Brooklyn shooting After-Action ReportResidents share gratitude, ask for more resources at Brooklyn Day shooting community forumDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/8/2023 • 20 minutes, 41 seconds
Leona's Sewing Studio provides lessons and camaraderie
The ready-to-wear clothing industry nearly killed the appetite -- and the need -- for home sewing. At Leona’s Sewing Studio colorful fabrics, humming machines and constant camaraderie have helped create a revival of the nearly lost art. We hear from founder Ireatha Leona Woods and three of her students: Brenda Squirrell, Nichelle Midon and Lori Ferrara.
Links: Leona's Sewing Studio, Future Designers of America, Custom Wedding Designs, BMI's Redefining IndustryDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/7/2023 • 24 minutes, 5 seconds
Amos Badertscher's snapshots of his Baltimore. Plus, aging with pride.
Amos Badertscher broke almost every rule of documentary photography during his decades-long work to capture the heartbeat of Baltimore street life.
The Baltimore-based photographer, proudly self-taught, took his camera into the underground clubs and gay bars of Baltimore in the 1960’s, 70’s and 80s and beyond, and was witness to the devastation, desperation, resilience and beauty of the people who called the city home. Badertscher died on July 24, 2023.
An exhibit at UMBC’s Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery called “Lost Boys: Amos Badertscher’s Baltimore” explores the singular photographer's work.
Beth Saunders, Curator and Head of Special Collections & Gallery within the Kuhn Library and Gallery, joins us to discuss Badertscher’s work and legacy.
Later in the show, two members of a support group for queer elders in Frederick, Maryland, join us. Stuart Harvey and Rob Thompson are among Aging with Pride's earliest members.When the group first came together almost a year and a half ago, it was a way to connect, build friendships and share advice among older, queer people in Frederick. Aging with Pride, founded within the Frederick Center, has grown and now encompasses dozens of members and frequent meetings.
Image: Amos Badertscher, "Voice Wafers in Time #1" (1975). Courtesy of artist.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/6/2023 • 26 minutes, 17 seconds
R. Eric Thomas’s latest book is titled, 'Congratulations, the Best is Over!' Don’t worry. There’s an asterisk.
R. Eric Thomas writes wry, perceptive essays about things that seem more amusing in his life than they do in yours. He grew up in West Baltimore -- but moving back after more than a decade away triggered stress and latent depression -- as well as some very funny episodes. We speak about his new book, "Congratulations, the Best is Over!" Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/5/2023 • 26 minutes, 4 seconds
Grilling for the holiday? What about cell-cultured chicken?
What’s your poultry preference? Soon, options will go beyond just roasted or fried. Upside Foods received USDA approval to sell its cell-cultivated chicken: grown in a lab, no animals harmed. We hear from Eric Schulze, Upside's vice president of Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. Plus, a group of Hopkins students is raising awareness about alternative protein production.
Links: Upside Foods, JHU Alternative Protein Project.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/4/2023 • 25 minutes, 55 seconds
Opera Baltimore wants you to 'Fall for Opera'
Arias sung in foreign languages, big voices, even bigger emotions! Opera can be daunting for some people. But Opera Baltimore meets audiences where they are -- and its ‘Fall for Opera’ outdoor series is just the ticket! We get a preview.
Links: Opera Baltimore, Fall for Opera, Opera on the Avenue.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/1/2023 • 17 minutes, 44 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Ira Gewanter's fierce love for baseball
Here's a Stoop Story from Ira Gewanter about his loyalty to a beloved triumvirate: his hometown Orioles, his religion and his family.
Find his stories, information about live events and workshops at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
9/1/2023 • 8 minutes
The past and present struggle for workers' rights
As summer draws to an end, Labor Day is more than an opportunity for one last weekend at the beach. The federal holiday commemorates the American labor movement, and the centuries-old struggle for workers’ rights.
And Maryland is home to the second-largest archive of labor history in the United States, located in the University Libraries at University of Maryland, College Park.
Benjamin Blake, Social Justice and Labor Archivist in the University Libraries, joins us to discuss labor history and connecting his work in the archives to today's social movement driving for change. Blake is also one of the faculty members supporting unionization of their own workplace.
The push for union representation continues in a range of professions and industries, from carmakers to Starbucks baristas to healthcare workers. Efforts to unionize also persist in the ivory towers of U.S. universities and colleges.
While faculty in the University System of Maryland, Morgan State and St. Mary’s College do not have the right to collective bargaining, faculty and graduate assistants across the state have been organizing to exert more say in their working conditions.
Two academic workers involved in organizing efforts on campuses in Maryland join us. Jared Ball is a professor of Communication and Africana Studies at Morgan State University. He also founded Black Power Media and hosts the podcast ‘iMIXWHATiLIKE!’ We are also joined by Andrew Eneim, a Ph.d candidate in biophysics and physical chemistry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. There, he helped organize the ‘Teachers and Researchers United’ union.
(Image courtesy: University of Maryland University Libraries.)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/31/2023 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds
A psychiatrist's advice on children's mental health. Plus, bus routes in disarray as the new school year begins.
The start of the school year can be an anxious time for kids. How can parents offer reassurance? When are back-to-school jitters something more serious? We ask psychiatrist Dr. Justine Larson, who serves as medical director of schools and residential treatment centers for Sheppard Pratt.
Plus, Baltimore Banner education reporter Liz Bowie on test scores, bus routes, and school renovations.
Read more:Thousands of Howard County students stranded without bus service this weekHistoric Baltimore high schools are getting a face-lift. Parents and alumni want more.Maryland schools recovered from pandemic learning losses in English. Math is a different story.
Check out WYPR's education reporting, including this recent story: New survey shows half of Maryland teachers work a second job, even more gain personal debtDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/30/2023 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds
MTA Administrator Holly Arnold on the revival of Baltimore's Red Line
A Red Line revival is underway. Baltimore’s east-west transit project was canceled in 2015. Now Gov. Moore is bringing it back. How different will the new plan be? Will it use light rail or rapid buses in their own lanes? We ask MTA Administrator Holly Arnold.
Check out the Red Line website, including a presentation from the open houses.
Read more about the Red Line:Hope for the Red Line is high — so is skepticism - The Baltimore BannerA new bus in town; Quick Link 40 is first step in Red Line launch | WYPRDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/29/2023 • 24 minutes, 6 seconds
What you should know about emerging COVID-19 variants and a new round of boosters
News of a slight bump in COVID-19 cases is raising concerns about new variants of the virus.
The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases remains far below the low points seen earlier in the pandemic, but the uptick is a reminder that the virus, which killed over a million people in the U.S., continues to circulate.
Andrew Pekosz is vice chair of the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
He joined us to talk about the emerging COVID-19 variants and the expected release of another round of vaccine boosters. Additionally, we also ask about the flu vaccine and how to best protect children headed back to school.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/28/2023 • 24 minutes, 56 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Lynn McDonald celebrates a very good boy
Lynn McDonald shares a Stoop story about the comfort a therapy dog can bring.
The next Stoop event is in less than three weeks -- September 14th. The theme is, “The One That Got Away: Stories of Lost Loves, Fish, and Other Missed Opportunities.”Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/25/2023 • 12 minutes, 18 seconds
Maryland SPCA sees longer stays for shelter animals amid economic strains
National Dog Day is coming right up: The Maryland SPCA is celebrating at the Rotunda. We speak with Katie Flory, director of Community Care & Advocacy for the Maryland SPCA.
Beyond this celebration, Flory says the length of stay for animals in the shelter has doubled in recent months, as families cope with inflation and other economic challenges. The non-profit is working to prevent pet surrenders by holding neighborhood wellness clinics and distributing pet food to those in need.
National Dog Day at the Rotunda is tomorrow, from 11-5 pm. The Festival for the Animals is September 23rd at Padonia Park Club. Check out animals available in the shelter. Find opportunities to volunteer.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/25/2023 • 12 minutes, 51 seconds
Why are so many young people carrying guns?
While the overall rate of homicides has not risen, gun violence in Baltimore city is affecting young people at levels not seen in a decade. Why are so many young people picking up weapons?
A new study from the Center for Justice Innovation, titled “Two Battlefields: Opps, Cops and NYC Gun Culture,” seeks an answer.
Two of the researchers on the team behind the report join us to talk about its findings. Rachel Swaner is Senior Director of Research & Policy and Basaime Spate is a community research coordinator with the Center for Justice Innovation.
Later in the show, we bring the lessons from Brooklyn, New York, to Brooklyn, south Baltimore, where a shocking mass shooting at the beginning of July underscored the epidemic of gun violence searing the country and the city.
Joining us to talk about anti-violence work is Freedom Jones, Director of Community Violence Intervention Programs at Jill Fox Center for Hope at LifeBridge Health. Freedom oversees part of Safe Streets, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement’s anti-street violence program. Antonio Stewart, a violence interrupter with Safe Streets, joins us, as well.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/24/2023 • 25 minutes, 53 seconds
Sixty years later: the March on Washington and the integration of Gwynn Oak Park
Two anniversaries this weekend: a re-enactment in Annapolis of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. We talk to Carl Snowden, founder of the Caucus of African-American Leaders, and Sharyn Martin, a marcher.
That same summer, civil rights workers integrated Gwynn Oak Park in Baltimore County. We speak with Dawn Seestedt, who organized this weekend's Gwynn Oak Mosaic Project & Unity Festival, and protester Charles Mason.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/23/2023 • 25 minutes, 48 seconds
What are Sen. Ben Cardin's priorities for his final term in Congress?
Now that U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has decided not to run for a fourth term, he’s focused on what he can get done in the rest of this one: like strengthening small businesses in his role as chair of that committee. We ask about his agenda.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/22/2023 • 26 minutes, 10 seconds
Chronicling the life of U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster
Dan Brewster had everything a mid-20th-century Democratic politician in Maryland could want: strong voter base, beautiful family, wealth. It unraveled spectacularly, due to his alcoholism and failing to see how voters were changing and not changing.
We talk to Brewster’s biographer, journalist John Frece, who's written, "Self-Destruction: The rise, fall and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster."Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/21/2023 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
Satisfy your craving at Baltimore's Vegan Soul Fest
You are what you eat! And organizers of the Vegan Soul Fest hope you’ll include plenty of plant based choices. The two-day festival features cooking demos, speakers, musical guests and plenty of tantalizing foods to sample.
We talk to co-organizer Brenda Sanders to get a preview.
Links: Vegan Soul Fest, Plant Bliss Foods, Afro-Vegan Society, Land of Kush vegan restaurant, Food & Justice podcastDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/18/2023 • 16 minutes, 21 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Erica Chung
Here’s a Stoop Story from Erica Chung about food, love and family.
Do you have a good story to share? The Stoop is looking for storytellers for their next LIVE show! The theme is The One That Got Away: Stories of Lost Loves, Fish, and Other Missed Opportunities. It takes place next month at the Manor Mill in Monkton--Sept. 14 at 7 pm -- Caleb Stein is the musical guest! More info here.
And if you’re looking for some good stories to watch, check out WYPR’s New/Next Film Festival. That happens tonight through Sunday, all screenings are at the Charles Theater. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/18/2023 • 9 minutes, 25 seconds
Back to school: How adults learners in Maryland can earn a high school diploma
Tens of thousands of people in Baltimore left high school without a diploma. That often means they can’t get jobs that would support their family or turn into satisfying careers. Two non-profits aim to make a dent in that problem with high schools for adults.
We speak with Lisa Rusyniak, CEO of Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake. Goodwill is renovating its headquarters in downtown Baltimore to open the Excel Center, a high school for adults, late next month.
Then, the nonprofit Elev8 has been operating the South Baltimore Adult High School online and in Cherry Hill for two years, and has graduated its first cohort. We speak with CEO Alexandria Warrick Adams, and students Jennifer Martinez and Lorraine Giddins.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/17/2023 • 26 minutes, 2 seconds
Pass the Mic: New/Next Film Fest!
Today is our monthly installment of ‘Pass the Mic.’ In this series, we invite someone in the community--maybe an author, an artist, a community organizer--to collaborate with us: to choose the topic and guests and direct the conversation.
Today, we pass the mic to Eric Hatch. Hatch has been working in film and curating festivals for more than two decades, including 11 years with the Maryland Film Festival.
This Friday through Sunday, August 18 through 20, WYPR debuts the New/Next Film Festival, which Hatch curated. He, along with Sam Sessa, director of events and community partnerships at WTMD and WYPR, are co-producers of the event.Hatch speaks with filmmakers, Diana Peralta, (De lo Mio) Emma Hannaway (Somewhere Quiet) and Lotfy Nathan (HARKA) about their work.
Links: New/Next Film Fest, Beyond VideoDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/16/2023 • 25 minutes, 26 seconds
Pedestrian deaths and fatal car crashes are predictable. How do we prevent them?
In Maryland, on average, ten people die in a traffic crash each week. More than one-fifth of those killed are pedestrians. Crashes rose during the pandemic and are still high.
We speak with Chrissy Nizer, the head of Maryland’s MVA. She describes the data presented by the new “Fatal Crash Dashboard."
Then, Jeffrey Michael, a transportation safety expert and Distinguished Scholar at Johns Hopkins University, tells what would make pedestrians safer. Check out the recommendations of the Safe Street Consortium.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/15/2023 • 26 minutes, 3 seconds
Young people are rethinking their options after high school
When the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in late June that the nation's colleges and universities could not take race into account in admissions practices, college admissions offices were not the only people left confused. High school students and school counselors were also plunged into uncertainty.
Later in the show, Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University, joins us to talk about affirmative action and college admissions.
But first, how are today's high school students thinking about college? The total number of students enrolled in postsecondary education in the U.S. dropped over the past decade. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that undergraduate enrollment was 15 percent lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010. 42 percent of that decline occurred during the pandemic.
But among high school graduates, a majority are still enrolling in college or university, according to the 2021 data from Bureau of Labor Statistics.
We sit down with two people closely involved with young students considering their future join us.
Brian Stewart is a School Counselor and Department Chair at Catonsville High School in Baltimore County.
Marian Hoyt is a school counselor at Howard County’s newest public school, Guilford Park High School, which will open in two weeks in Jessup. Most recently Hoyt has been a school counselor at Bard High School Early College in Baltimore City. She is also on the board of the Maryland School Counselor Association, MSCA, where she is High School Vice President.
What are they hearing from their students, many of whom are considering options outside of the 4-year college path?
Plus, a conversation with Dr. Aminta Breaux, President of Bowie State University, Maryland's oldest HBCU.
In a nearly 300-page decision in late June, the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled affirmative action for colleges and universities across the country.The conservative supermajority on the court ruled public and private institutions of higher learning could not consider race as one of many factors in a student’s admission application.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/14/2023 • 24 minutes, 22 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Marianne Amoss and Sybil Snow
Here's a Stoop Story from Marianne Amoss and Sibyl Snow about their unconventional convent stay during spring break one year. You can hear their stories and others at Stoopstorytelling.com
Got a good story to share? The Stoop is looking for storytellers for their next LIVE show! The theme is The One That Got Away: Stories of Lost Loves, Fish, and Other Missed Opportunities. It takes place next month at the Manor Mill in Monkton on Sept. 14 at 7 pm -- Caleb Stein is the musical guest! Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/11/2023 • 5 minutes, 48 seconds
"Eroding History" tells a story of climate change and community
A new film looks at climate change layered on old racism on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. We ask the creators of "Eroding History" how rising salt water and settling land threaten the culture and memory of two African American churches on Deal Island.
Links: "Eroding History" trailer, Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative, Disruption: Baltimore's Highway to Nowhere, Natural History Society of "Eroding History" film screening on Monday, Aug. 14. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/11/2023 • 19 minutes, 57 seconds
Can chronic fatigue syndrome provide answers about long COVID?
Even months after a COVID infection clears, some people are left with debilitating symptoms - brain fog and extreme exhaustion after performing everyday tasks. What does long COVID have in common with ME/CFS - myalgic encephalomyelitis, formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome?
We speak with Dr. Alba Azola, a rehabilitation physician who works in the Johns Hopkins Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Clinic.
Plus, Melinda Lipscomb and Whitney Fox share about their experiences living with ME/CFS. They are the co-chairs and co-founders of the Maryland chapter of #MEAction.
This interview originally aired April 5, 2023.
Learn more about ME/CFS:Long Covid Impact on Adult Americans: Early Indicators Estimating Prevalence and CostSolve M.E.For long covid fatigue, a strategy called ‘pacing’ helps, but at a cost
TRANSCRIPT:Sheilah Kast: We’re OTR! I’m SK. Good morning. For some people, even months after a COVID infection has cleared, symptoms like extreme fatigue and brain fog linger, interrupting daily life.
Researchers at Stanford University looked at a group of 105 long COVID patients whose symptoms persisted for at least six months. Forty-five of those patients met the criteria for myalgic encephalo-myelitis, previously known as chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s commonly abbreviated as ME/CFS.
Like long COVID, ME/CFS has a broad range of symptoms.
In April, I spoke with rehabilitation physician Dr. Alba Azola, former co-director of the Johns Hopkins’ Post-Acute COVID-19 Team.’ She now works in the Johns Hopkins Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Clinic. I asked Azola when, during the pandemic, she noticed patients presenting with chronic fatigue…
Dr. Alba Azola: Yeah. So it was quite interesting because I had not been treating that population before. When we opened our clinic in April of 2020, we were focused on or expecting to have a lot of critically ill patients coming in for rehabilitation. But we knew that like with other pandemics like Sars-cov-1 or Merce, that there were going to be patients that were not severely ill but had some lingering symptoms. In the summer of 2020, we started seeing this patients with less severe acute illness presenting with symptoms that to me appeared similar to our autonomic dysfunction patients or patients suffering from condition called pots pots. These patients presented with brain fog, fatigue, palpitations on standing, difficulty tolerating, standing. And what's interesting is that we noticed that similarity and we had physical therapists that knew how to manage this patient population, and we started working with them. But there was a subgroup of patients that were not responding to physical therapy interventions that we use for autonomic dysfunction, the same way that we are used to seeing these patients were experiencing severe post exertional symptom exacerbation.
Sheilah Kast: Where symptom exacerbation means they were getting really tired after they exerted themselves.
Dr. Alba Azola: It's beyond tired. These patients actually will kind of feel pretty good, do a little more than usual. And this is nothing exaggerated compared to their baseline. Like, you know, for example, doing their laundry or cleaning the house. And then 12 to 48 hours after the exertion, they have a myriad of symptoms that flare, including the sensation of heaviness, feeling myalgia, which is that feeling like when you're going to have a viral infection feeling achy in their body. They also have neurologic symptoms like tinnitus or tremors or even worsening cognitive impairments. So it's a little bit different than just doing the activity and then requiring some rest right after you do it.
Sheilah Kast: Some long COVID patients may develop ME/ CFS, but others do not. What what are the similarities between long COVID and ME/ CFS?
Dr. Alba Azola: In my clinical experience, we see that post-COVID patients can experience fatigue, but not all fatigue is equal. We have patients that experience some fatigue from deconditioning because they were ill for a period of time and did not have their usual physical activity. We can also see some post-viral illness that requires a few months to recover function back to their pre-COVID baseline. But then there's this smaller subgroup of patients that meet the criteria. For me, CFS diagnosis, which like I mentioned earlier, includes severe debilitating fatigue that prevents them from doing their daily activities for more than six months, post exertional symptom, exacerbation, impaired sleep standing intolerance and cognitive impairments.
Sheilah Kast: What symptoms of long COVID are not associated with ME/ CFS?
Dr. Alba Azola: You know, if you think about it, there's there's not that many, right? But again, not all long-covid patients. Have the same cluster of symptoms. So so like I said, some long COVID patients have symptoms of CFS but don't have the entire picture for the syndrome diagnosis. So, you know, you can have a patient with Long-covid who experiences isolated cognitive impairment without the presence of severe fatigue that, you know, has post exertional symptom exacerbation or any physical fatigue at all and just purely cognitive impairment. So there are several different types of long COVID patients and some of them have the whole picture to receive the diagnosis of CFS.
Sheilah Kast: What does treatment look like for this type of extreme exhaustion?
Dr. Alba Azola: Yeah. So for patients that have or meet the criteria for CFS, these patients required a very individualized approach. We certainly hone in to teaching them skills of how to manage their energy envelope, how to pace their day to day activities so that they're not expanding beyond what their energy envelope is. So we do some education. We have occupational therapist or physical therapist that can help the patient implement energy conservation strategies into their day to day activities.
Sheilah Kast: Give me an example.
Dr. Alba Azola: A simple example would be for cooking. Instead of preparing a meal all at once, break a task into smaller pieces so prep the meal seated without being standing and taking breaks in between so that you don't push through the entire process of prepping the meal, cooking it, and serving all in one one time. Right? You want to break up task into smaller pieces.
Sheilah Kast: This is on the record. I'm Sheilah Kast speaking with Dr. Alba Azola co-director of the Johns Hopkins Post-Acute COVID 19 team, about the connections between long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, previously known as Chronic Fatigue syndrome. What are you hearing from patients about what it's been like to seek treatment for ME/ CFS After COVID.
Dr. Alba Azola: The treatment available for chronic fatigue syndrome are limited, and providers, medical providers that understand the diagnosis of CFS and the treatments that can help the patients manage their symptoms is even more limited. So prior to the pandemic, patients with had a really difficult time finding longitudinal providers that could help them. There were very few in the nation with long waitlist once the pandemic hit and providers that were like me that were following patients post-COVID started to notice the relationship. We've been sharing the knowledge that has been accumulated through the past decades of this, specialists that have been treated MS patients and trying to spread the clinical pearls that this clinicians have been utilizing. So it's been really interesting now. The patients with long COVID in general have a difficult time navigating the medical system and accessing care. And now we have an even larger number of patients requiring chronic fatigue management. And we're certainly not enough in terms of the post-COVID clinics and the few specialists that were out there in order to be able to provide the care needed for the millions of patients experiencing long COVID and a large number of them qualifying for CFS diagnosis.
Sheilah Kast: President Biden and Congress are ending the National Emergency and Public Health emergency declarations. What what comes to mind as you reflect on the three years since the pandemic hit the US?
Dr. Alba Azola: It's an interesting time certainly to to see that, you know, the society has. Basically got past the pandemic and people are not using, you know, general precautions like masking in public spaces or crowded spaces. I almost want to invite them all to my clinic. Let's see how this virus can really affect people in a chronic way. For some of my patients, they're going on 2 or 3 years of having disabling symptoms. So I think it's it's a little bit exciting that the numbers of people that are dying from COVID are going down and that we're so good at treating it. And we have developed treatments and preventative strategies. However, patients that do have the COVID infection are always at risk of developing long-covid. And it's sometimes those people that don't feel the need to protect themselves because they're young and healthy that, you know, are basically playing Russian roulette in terms of getting an infection and developing long COVID. We think about 10% in a very, very conservative estimate, about 10% of people that contract COVID will develop long COVID symptoms.
Sheilah Kast: Seeing the needs of your patients, a re you concerned that the end of the formally declared emergencies will deprive your patients of of something they need?
Dr. Alba Azola: Yeah. I mean I think that there the implications that that has for Medicaid and Medicare coverage in some of our patients it's going to impact their access to care in a medical system where there are clear barriers to care from people with lower socioeconomic status, immigrants, etcetera. So this is just another layer of barrier to access to proper medical care for millions of patients.
Sheilah Kast: I'm grateful to you for talking with us. Thank you.
Dr. Alba Azola: Thank you for highlighting this topic.
Sheilah Kast: Dr. Alba Azola is a rehabilitation physician with the Johns Hopkins Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Clinic. We spoke in April. Short break, OTR. When we’re back, advocating for the ME/CFS community. I’m SK. Stay with us!
Sheilah Kast: Welcome back to OTR. I’m SK.
We’re talking this morning about myalgic encephalo-myelitis. formerly known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The shorthand is ME/CFS. It’s a complex chronic disease: a patient’s symptoms typically get worse after they exert themselves physically or mentally. While the exact cause is unknown, in many cases, ME develops after an infection.
And that may be true for COVID infections. Some people with long COVID are experiencing symptoms that mirror ME/CFS … and are joining the call for more research and funding.
Melinda Lipscomb and Whitney Fox live with ME/CFS. They are the co-chairs and co-founders of the Maryland chapter of #ME Action. When we spoke in April, I asked Melinda Lipscomb what MEAction is, and why they started a Maryland chapter…
Melinda Lipscomb: So ME action is a global now movement of people with ME and allies who don't have to pardon me . My brain is going to come in and out at times.
Sheilah Kast: That's fine.
Melinda Lipscomb: It essentially is an advocacy and activism organization, grassroots patient, led, founded in 2016. And essentially we all found each other online and have come together and have done direct action campaigns and movements to bring attention to this long, stigmatized illness.
Sheilah Kast: Whitney When did you notice people with long COVID starting to get in touch with ME Action.
Whitney Fox: I noticed an influx of long COVID patients within the first few months of the pandemic, as early as March and April of 2020. People were finding us and noticing the similarities in our symptoms and looking for support, looking for help, tips and guidance on how to navigate the medical system, how to navigate these symptoms that are incredibly debilitating and often disabling. And it's it's just snowballed from there. I feel like every every week a friend or an acquaintance is putting me in touch with somebody who's experiencing these long haul symptoms.
Sheilah Kast: And and for you, Whitney, what has it been like to see the pandemic leave people with ME in its wake?
Whitney Fox: If I'm being honest, it's traumatizing. It's something that I talk about with my therapist every session. Um, we knew this was coming. We warned our leaders that this was coming. It's infuriating to see this happening to other people. It's depressing to see that they're facing the same kind of stigma and disbelief and gaslighting that I dealt with. But it's also really empowering and really encouraging that there are so many of us and people are finally listening and that the long haul COVID patients, they're not starting from scratch. They have this basis of advocacy from groups like ours, and we take inspiration from groups like Act Up and AIDS Advocacy. So we're not starting from scratch here. And that's the really exciting part for me.
Melinda Lipscomb: And I'd like to say for me, my trigger was H1N1, the swine flu in 2009, and I never recover from that. So you could say I have long H1N1. So from from the start of this, I was shouting into the void because I knew what happened to me and what I went through. And I know that I wasn't alone. You know, Whitney and I both came into the ME spectrum because of H1N1. And we have found so many others online who have such a similar story. And we truly knew that this was going to happen with COVID. And it honestly, you know, my entire journey in advocacy and in in education and all of this has been don't want somebody to have to go through what I've gone through.
Sheilah Kast: Whitney, what misconceptions do people have about ME?
Whitney Fox: I think the big misconception is that ME mainly affects middle aged white women. When you don't fit that stereotype, it makes it really hard to access a diagnosis. And that stereotype is is false. Marginalized groups are disproportionately affected, but ME can affect anyone. I think that was one of the challenges with my diagnosis, was that when I was young, they didn't think something like this could happen to a young person who looks healthy. And unfortunately, that led to a very long diagnostic delay until I hit my 30s and became unable to work. Like Melinda said, I basically had to become disabled and bedbound in order for me to find answers. Another one is that it's just fatigue. The name Chronic Fatigue Syndrome makes it easy to reduce ME to that one symptom, but it's a complex chronic illness that affects multiple body systems. I have symptoms throughout my entire body that can be attributed to me, and it's the kind of fatigue we're talking about really needs its own name because it's not your standard definition of of fatigue. It's fatigue that's lasted six months or more. It's not caused by ongoing exertion. It's not relieved by rest or sleeping. And it's causing a huge decrease in function that affects our ability to do routine daily living activities. 75% of patients are unable to work and 25% are housebound or bedbound. And the CDC even acknowledges that most patients are undiagnosed. So most people are dealing with these symptoms and they have no answers and nothing that they can do to really address the symptoms.
Sheilah Kast: That's Whitney Fox, who is living with ME/ CFS or Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is on the record. And I'm Sheilah Kast. Also with us is Melinda Lipscomb. They co-founded and co-chair the Maryland chapter of ME Action. We're talking about the group's advocacy and how that has been shaped by long COVID. And Whitney, I wanted to pick up on that. The US Government Accountability Office says as many as 23 million Americans are suffering from long COVID, and as many as 1 million of them are unable to work because of it. Whitney, what is ME Action advocating for right now?
Whitney Fox: One of the things that we're working on here in Maryland is establishing contacts and connections with our state legislators and with the more administration. We have a new governor in place, and we really want to try to make contacts with them and work with them on a state level. What we can do here in Maryland, we're continuing to do awareness events. May 12th is ME Awareness Day, and we do proclamations on the county, state and city level to recognize May 12th is ME Awareness Day. We are meeting with our congressional representatives later in April as part of Solve ME and Solve long COVID Advocacy Week to urge for research funding. There is so, so much that we need to do surrounding this illness, but mainly it's we need people to be aware of what this is and and ways and care. Yeah. And we need ways to manage this and navigate this transition from being a healthy, active part of our community to being a person with a chronic illness that's disabling. It's a really hard transition, especially for me. It's been really difficult to unlearn my internalized ableism and give myself compassion and grace as I'm dealing with this incredibly difficult illness that has no support.
Sheilah Kast: Melinda What advice would you give to people who have long COVID and who are experiencing symptoms that mirror ME?
Melinda Lipscomb: The first thing that I always say is listen to your body and believe yourself. For so long I know I personally it was, you know, put off to stress. It was put off to burn out. I was just overworked. You know your own body and you know that there's something going on. And the difference between you've experienced tired and fatigued before. And this is different to know that there are resources out there you might not be able to get it from your doctor or going online and you know, some of the med sites and finding it easy. But there are many of us out there and you can find us and connect with us through these different support organizations or advocacy organizations and through social media. And third, don't push yourself. You know, we we've grown up in this society where you're supposed to be on all the time and doing all the time. And it's about the hustle when it comes to ME and long Covid, it means that it can hurt you and it means that it can disable you. So rest, you know, even if it's just 30 minutes here a night off there, those things can keep you from the me turning into ME or ME getting worse.
Whitney Fox: One more thing I wanted to add to what Melinda said. I want long COVID patients to know that long COVID is recognized as a disability under the ADA and they have access to benefits and protections because of that. I didn't know how to advocate for those things when I first became ill, which is part of the reason why I pushed myself until I became bedbound and unable to work. But there are a lot of accommodations that could really help people at the onset of this so that it doesn't worsen or lead to things like remote work, flexible work hours, using mobility aides, noise canceling headphones, dim lighting and of course COVID mitigation measures, trying not to catch it in the first place and trying not to become reinfected, wearing masks, air filtration. Those are things that we should be fighting for and that a lot of people don't have access to short term and long term disability benefits. But using those when you need to have a prolonged period of rest to fully recover from this illness before jumping back in, I cannot recommend that enough. I wish I had done that with my onset, but like so many of us, I just I just kept pushing through until I couldn't anymore.
Sheilah Kast: Wow. Thank you both for telling us about this.
Whitney Fox: Thank you. Thank you, Sheilah.
Melinda Lipscomb: Thank you so much for having us today.
Sheilah Kast: Melinda Lipscomb and Whitney Fox are the co-chairs and co-founders of the Maryland chapter of #ME Action. We spoke in April.
Day before yesterday, August 8th, was Severe ME Day -- a day of remembrance for those who have died from ME/CFS or are experiencing acute symptoms. Since our last conversation, Melinda Lipscomb’s condition worsened and she is now suffering from Severe ME. I’m SK. Thanks for joining us, OTR. Hope you’ll come back tomorrow.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/10/2023 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
Baltimore opens its public housing waitlist. Plus, revamping the city's inclusionary housing program.
For the first time since before the pandemic, Baltimore has opened its waitlist for public housing. How will recipients be selected from thousands of applicants? We speak with Janet Abrahams, president and CEO of the Housing Authority of Baltimore City. The application submission period ends at 11:59 pm on August 14th.
Plus, City Councilmember Odette Ramos on revamping the city’s inclusionary housing law.
Links:-HABC Public Housing Waiting List-Waiting List FAQs-Inclusionary Housing Bill-Sharp-Leadenhall Legacy residents fear they will be priced out. They say affordable housing is the answer.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/9/2023 • 25 minutes, 48 seconds
A reporter dissects new evidence surrounding the death of Freddie Gray
Freddie Gray died eight years ago of a broken neck, but just how has never been clear. Investigative reporter Justine Barron presents new evidence -- about the arrest of Freddie Gray, the investigation and the prosecution -- in her book, "They Killed Freddie Gray: The Anatomy of a Police Brutality Cover-Up."
Barron will be speaking this Thursday at Red Emma’s Bookstore Coffeehouse. RSVP here. On Sept. 2 she’ll discuss the book with Johns Hopkins University professor Stuart Schrader at Charm City Books.
Clarification from Sheilah Kast:
Investigative reporter Jayne Miller said my question to Barron was incorrect, in summarizing that Miller had reported it was possible that Gray broke his neck when police threw him headfirst into the van.
Miller interviewed a witness on WBAL April 17, 2015; the witness said she had seen police throw Gray into the van face down, head first, ankles bound, arms bound. Miller reported, “It is not known if Gray’s injury, a broken neck, occurred at that point. He was in the police wagon another 30 minutes, according to a police timeline, before medics were called.”
That was one of Miller’s reports on Freddie Gray that won a prestigious Alfred I DuPont-Columbia University Award.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/8/2023 • 24 minutes, 39 seconds
What does a laugh reveal?
Eyes and body language can give big clues about how someone really feels. What about their laugh? That holds hidden truths, too. We talk to a University of Baltimore researcher about her findings -- and why a simple laugh can reveal if someone is newly in love.
Links: Article about Farley's recent research, link to Farley's ResearchGate.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/7/2023 • 25 minutes, 23 seconds
Digging into Kate Myers' debut novel: "Excavations"
Kate Myers of Annapolis has written a funny, irreverent novel with lots of romantic twists that also unspools a mystery about what’s being excavated at a archeological dig on a sunny Greek island … and, it asks the question: Who gets to shape history?
Links:
Friday, August 4: Rehoboth Beach, DE 2-4pm | Browseabout Books
Saturday, August 5: Ocean Pines, MD 5pm | Caprichos Books
Sunday, August 6: Annapolis, MD 5:30pm | Old Fox Books
Wednesday, August 9: Baltimore, MD 7pm | Greedy ReadsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/4/2023 • 17 minutes, 17 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Evan Woodard
Here's a Stoop Story from urban excavation expert Evan Woodard about why he’s dedicated to making history come alive. You can find him on Instagram at Salvage Arc.
We have more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series -- including upcoming live events and the Stoop podcast - at Stoopstorytelling.comDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/4/2023 • 8 minutes, 24 seconds
A month after shooting, how are Brooklyn's teens holding up?
One month ago today, the gun violence plaguing American society reared its head again in south Baltimore. Over the course of ten minutes in the early morning of July 2, 2023, gunfire from multiple, yet unidentified, shooters injured 28 people and killed two.
Half of the victims were under the age of 18. The shocking event during Brooklyn Day, a celebration of the neighborhood, threw the community into mourning.
On today's show, we look to see how the neighborhood's young people are doing, and what resources are being made available for them.
We speak with two religious leader in the community, who both take on mentorship roles with local young people. Reverend John D. Watts, senior pastor at Kingdom Life Church Apostolic, and Kandice Golden, a minister in Rehoboth Church of Deliverance and local small business owner, sat down with us.
Officials from the Mayor’s ‘Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement,’ joined us to talk about their mission in the aftermath of gun violence. One of the tools at their disposal is an orange RV called the Peace Mobile.We speak with MONSE interim director Stefanie Mavronis and Rick Fontaine Leandry, MONSE’s ‘Coordinated Neighborhood Stabilization Response Manager’.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/2/2023 • 25 minutes, 59 seconds
The future of Baltimore's aging sewage and water system
Right now, beneath your feet, a century-old system of pipes and drains making up Baltimore City’s water and sewage utilities help deliver water to nearly 2 million people across the region.
The system serves the city, Baltimore County, and parts of Anne Arundel, Carroll, Howard and Harford counties, too. It is among Baltimore city’s largest and most valuable assets, worth billions of dollars.
Later in the show, we discuss how aging sewage infrastructure is impacting Baltimore city residents.
But first, a new regional task force created by the Maryland General Assembly is considering changes to the system that could have repercussions for the many people who use its water. The task force has a deadline in January to present its recommendations to the General Assembly.Our guests are Bill Henry, Baltimore City’ Comptroller and chair of that Task Force, and Lauren Buckler, Deputy Director for Baltimore County Department of Public Works and Transportation. She was named to the task force by County Executive Johnny Olszewski.
Later in the show, we talk about the consequences of aging sewage infrastructure for Baltimore city residents. The Baltimore City Department of Public Works reported in 2021 there had been more than 8500 sewage backups in the city in the previous three years.Some of those backups are caused by storms or flooding, when a sudden influx of water triggers the sewage system to spill. Sometimes into streams and sometimes into people’s homes.
In 2021, the city expanded its help for residents with sewage backups by paying clean-up crews dispatched to the scene. But this past May, the federal EPA said the city must expand its assistance to include residents who experience sewage backups from causes beyond storms and flooding.
Our guest Jennifer Kunze, program coordinator with the grassroots advocacy group Clean Water Action, joins us to talk about the latest.
We asked the city’s Department of Public Works about the practice of limited support for clean-ups to backups caused by wet conditions;
"If City of Baltimore residents encounter capacity-related sewage backups, the Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) offers its Sewage Onsite Support (SOS) Cleanup Program, a direct assistance program, which provides cleaning and disinfection services at no cost to residential customers, who reside in Baltimore City, and are impacted by sewage damage caused by a capacity-related wet-weather event resulting from heavy or sustained rain. A capacity-related wet weather event occurs when at least ¼ inch of precipitation is recorded within a 24-hour period that causes the sewer lines to surcharge or overflow. A City resident who incurs costs as a result of a non-capacity and/or dry weather building backup has the option to pursue a general liability claim with the Baltimore City Law Department."
More information about the city's Sewage Onsight Support Cleanup Program can be found on the Department of Public Works website.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
8/1/2023 • 26 minutes, 18 seconds
Parity: From vacant to vibrant; Plus, home repairs keep neighborhoods stable
Baltimore has 15-thousand vacant properties and lots of plans to address them. Bree Jones buys and rehabs houses a city block at a time to stabilize neighborhoods. How’s it going? Plus, Rebuilding Together Baltimore's free house repairs help seniors and low-income families remain at home.
Links: Parity, Rebuilding Together BaltimoreDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/31/2023 • 26 minutes, 12 seconds
"In Search of Resolution" calls for an end to Nuclear weapons
Seventy-eight years after the U.S. first deployed atom bombs an award winning producer asks, essentially, why nuclear weapons still exist … and what will the next generation do about them? We ask Robert Frye about his new documentary.
Links: The Nuclear World Project, In Search of Resolution, Youth 4Disarmament Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/28/2023 • 12 minutes, 12 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Liz McAlister
Here’s a Stoop Story from ... Liz McAlister about … standing up, and standing in the way, for what you believe in. There is more information at Stoopstorytelling.com
Tomorrow, from 9 p.m. until 2 a.m. Sunday, Baltimore Beat will host its Summer Jam. That happens at The Compound 2239 Kirk Avenue Baltimore. There will be DJs, bands, and beverages--all enjoyed in support of Baltimore Beat: the city’s Black-led non-profit newspaper. More information here.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/28/2023 • 12 minutes, 56 seconds
The kayaks helping vets return home. Plus, a deadline for PACT Act's hard-won benefits
For veterans of the military, the transition back to civilian life can be a struggle. Those who served during the United States’ recent conflicts are much more likely to report a difficult time readjusting to life back home, according to Pew Research Center. 47 percent of veterans who served post-9/11 say the transition was difficult, -compared to 21percent of Pre-9/11 servicemembers.
And that can take a toll on the health of veterans and the people who love them. The consequences are tragic, including higher rates of suicide among veterans than adults who are not veterans.
Jim Cooper is a coordinator for the Maryland Chapter of ‘Heroes on the Water.’ It’s a national organization with chapters across the country that provides recreational and therapeutic outlets for veterans and their families.
Plus, the passage of the PACT Act in August of 2022 was hailed by supporters, including the White House, as the most significant expansion of Veterans Administration healthcare in 30 years.
For decades, U.S. military veterans exposed during their service to toxic substances, like radiation, chemical weapons and carcinogenic burn pits were denied benefits.
Veterans who apply by August 9 are eligible to have their benefits backdated to August of last year.
(Photo courtesy Heroes on the Water)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/27/2023 • 24 minutes, 18 seconds
What can you do to avoid ticks and prevent Lyme Disease? Plus, preserving Baltimore's pockets of open space.
What’s behind the rise in tick-borne illness? And what can you do to protect yourself?
Nicole Baumgarth is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She arrived last September to head the public health school's new Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute.
Learn more about the geography of tick-borne disease on the Johns Hopkins Lyme and Tickborne Disease Dashboard.
Then, a conversation about the value of green space, no matter how small.
Katie Lautar is the executive director of Baltimore Green Space, a non-profit helping local communities manage and advocate for parks, gardens, and other pockets of nature in their neighborhoods. Sylvester Myers is part of Baltimore Green Space’s Forest Stewardship Network.
Find out more about how to get involved and learn more about the green spaces in your neighborhood on their website.
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/26/2023 • 25 minutes, 32 seconds
Psycho thriller "Prom Mom"; Plus, Lippman gets personal
Laura Lippman’s new psychological thriller swirls around characters caught as teenagers in headlines about the Prom Mom and the “Cad dad.” She follows them into their 30’s and hurtles toward an end we don’t see coming. Plus, what’s going on with Lippman herself?
Tuesday, July 25, 6:00pm The Ivy Bookshop Presentsat Whitehall Mill3300 Clipper Mill RdBaltimore, MD LINK
Wednesday, July 26, 7:00pm Politics and Prose5015 Connecticut Ave NWWashington, DC LINK
Thursday, July 27, 5:00pm Browseabout Books Presentsat The Lewes Public Library111 Adams Ave, Lewes, DE LINK Friday, July 28, 12:00pm Mystery Loves Company Bookstore Luncheonat Doc’s Sunset Grill104 W Pier St, Oxford, MD LINK to purchase tickets
Saturday, July 29, 2:00pm A Likely Story Bookstore Presentsat Exploration Commons50 East Main StreetWestminster MD LINK Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/25/2023 • 25 minutes, 58 seconds
A librarian shares summer reading picks for kids. Plus, a girl befriends a robot in "AI... Meets...AI."
A good book can capture a child’s imagination. Baltimore County librarian Conni Strittmatter shares summer reading picks for kids, including a graphic novel about a young Vietnamese refugee’s arrival in the U.S. Check out the library's calendar of events.
Plus: nonprofit leader Amber Ivey shares a story about a Baltimore girl who makes friends with a robot in "AI... Meets... AI."
Titles:"Papá's Magical Water-Jug Clock" by Jesús Trejo"Our Pool" by Lucy Ruth Cummins"Wombats Are Pretty Weird : A (Not So) Serious Guide" by Abi Cushman"Hands-On Science: Matter" by Lola Schaefer"The Disney Villains’ Cookbook""Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret" by Judy Blume"Let's Fill This World With Kindness: True Tales of Goodwill in Action" by Alexandra Stewart"Family Style: Memories of an American from Vietnam" by Thien Pham"The Legacies" by Jessica Goodman"Four Eyes" by Rex Ogle (not mentioned)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/24/2023 • 26 minutes, 34 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Maya Kosok and Max Romano
Here’s a Stoop Story from Maya Kosok and Max Romano about a cross-country journey on two wheels.
Check out upcoming Stoop events and the Stoop podcast. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/21/2023 • 7 minutes, 42 seconds
"Uphill Cycle" celebrates the untold history of Le Tour de France Féminin and its determined riders
When women got their own chance to cycle the Tour de France, nearly four decades ago, they faced skepticism, chauvinism, poor equipment and sparse finances. Baltimore documentarian Jill Yesko’s new film "Uphill Climb" shows how they persevered.
"Uphill Climb: The Women Who Conquered the Impossible Race" can be seen on Discovery Plus and on Peacock, which is also covering the new women’s race that starts on Sunday: Le Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.
Watch the trailer and check out the film's four-part companion podcast.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/21/2023 • 18 minutes
Gloss and glamour in Cumberland's storied drag scene. Plus, a new hub for LGBTQ+ community.
For decades, drag performers have made a home in the ancient ridges and valleys of the Appalachian mountains. In Cumberland, Maryland, in the historic Embassy Theatre downtown, you can catch a glimpse of something glamorous and unique to this corner of the Rust Belt.
Photographer Michael Snyder, who grew up in nearby Frostburg, first experienced the Cumberland drag scene more than a decade ago. He would return again and again, before starting to photograph the drag performers. His pictures capture the glamour and grit of Cumberland’s queens.
Bruce Baker, known on stage as Mary Jane LaFay, joins us to talk about performing in Cumberland's drag scene.
Snyder's photography exhibit, "The Queens of Queen City," is open July 29 through August 19, 2023 in Allegany Art Council's Saville Gallery in Cumberland.
Later in the show, Kijana West discussed founding a new hub for LGTBQ+ community building in the region. Safe Space Cumberland opened last November, and offers virtual and in-person services.
Scenes from queer life in Allegany County are also captured in Rae Garringer's essay in the recent edition of the Virginia Quartely Review. Garringer is the founder of Country Queers, an ongoing, multimedia, community-based oral history project documenting rural and small town LGBTQIA+ experiences.
(Photo by Lindsay Ryklief)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/20/2023 • 24 minutes, 57 seconds
The teacher pipeline is drying up, and turnover is high. What can Baltimore City do to hold onto current teachers?
In its report, “Should I Stay or Should I Go? Retaining the Teachers Baltimore City Students Need,” the Fund for Educational Excellence spotlights the extraordinary pressures on public-school teachers. We speak with Kwane Wyatt, program director for analysis and engagement at FFEE.
Then, Baltimore City teachers Cheryl Owens and Corey Gaber describe how the profession's expectations have grown unwieldy and propose changes to offer relief.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/19/2023 • 25 minutes, 11 seconds
One year after its launch, the Central Maryland regional 988 crisis line has handled more than 45K calls
The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline launched nationwide a year ago. How do counselors in Central Maryland handle calls? What assistance can they offer?
We speak with Dan Rabbitt, policy director for Behavioral Health System Baltimore, and senior hotline counselor Chris Niles about de-stigmatizing mental illness and saving lives.
You can call, text, or chat 988 24 hours a day.
Links:MD Department of Health - 988Find a local same-day support clinicDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/18/2023 • 25 minutes, 8 seconds
Scientists see slight improvement to Chesapeake Bay's health
A report card on the health of the Chesapeake Bay released recently looks beyond the traditional indicators of nitrogen, phosphorus and water, and reviews what’s going on with the people in the bay’s massive watershed.
On ecological indicators the new report card by UMCES, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, finds the bay is making progress, though the watersheds of some of the rivers that feed the Bay are not as healthy.
Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz joins us to discuss the invasive and indigenous creatures in the bay. After years of falling numbers, are crab populations moving in the right direction? And what threat do invasive species, like the Blue Catfish, pose?
Department of Natural Resources' winter dredge survey is a bay-wide effort to estimate the number of blue crabs living in the Chesapeake Bay. The survey estimates of the number of crabs over-wintering in the bay and the number of young crabs entering the population each year, among other data sets used to manage the crab's population.
But first, Bill Dennison, Vice President for Science Application at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, joins the show to discuss some of the new findings. Dennison is a professor of marine science and is set to become UMCES interim president in September.
UMCES report includes a new component this year—environmental justice—where it finds marked disparities. Suburbs tend to show lower impacts of environmental stress than cities and rural areas.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/17/2023 • 25 minutes, 32 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Julia Dugan's mountain trek gone wrong
Here is a Stoop Story from Julia Dugan about a mountain trek gone wrong.
Want to hear more from the Stoop Storytelling Series? The latest podcast episode features a story from historian and educator Joanne Martin, who co-founded the National Great Blacks In Wax Museum.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/14/2023 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
Commune in nature with Baltimore Queer Hike
Five years ago, Adrienne Kilby was looking for a way to make friends and enjoy nature. So, she founded Baltimore Queer Hike. We speak with Kilby and co-organizer Shanae Giles about finding community and celebrating the outdoors.
Links:Popular trails in Maryland Trails recommended by the Baltimore Banner
This interview originally aired on April 14, 2023.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/14/2023 • 15 minutes, 3 seconds
The long fight for safer access to Druid Hill Park
With hundreds of acres to exercise, bike, stroll or gather, Druid Hill Park is a green oasis in Baltimore. But getting to the park requires crossing up to ten lanes of traffic. We speak with Monalisa Diallo, who lives in the Mondawmin neighborhood, and John Kwamya, who serves as Green Space Coordinator for the New Auchentoroly Terrace Association.
Plus, artist Graham Coreil-Allen is president of the New Auchentoroly Terrace Association and one of the founders of The Access Project for Druid Hill Park. He describes methods for making intersections and crosswalks safer for all.
Links:Short film series: Stories for ChangeMaryland's Crash Data DashboardBaltimore City DOT Druid Park Lake Drive Complete Streets Design EffortBaltimore City’s 2022 Complete Streets Annual ReportDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/13/2023 • 25 minutes, 4 seconds
Cell-cultured chicken coming to a store near you
What’s your poultry preference? Soon, options will go beyond just roasted or fried. Upside Foods received USDA approval to sell its cell-cultivated chicken: no animals harmed, grown in a lab. We hear from Eric Schulze, Upside's vice president of Global Scientific and Regulatory Affairs. Plus, a group of Hopkins students is raising awareness about alternative protein production.
Links: Upside Foods, JHU Alternative Protein Project.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/12/2023 • 24 minutes, 55 seconds
Are "forever chemicals" really forever?
The recent headlines are alarming. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, shortened as PFAS, have been found in our rivers, drinking water and our bodies. The human-made "forever chemicals" do not easily break down, and pose a lasting health risk to humans and the environment.
A report from the U.S. Geological Survey published last week found that the drinking water coming out of faucets in nearly half of American homes contain these chemicals, also called PFAS.
But how persistent are so-called, “forever chemicals?” And what can we do to reverse the contamination?
Tasha Stoiber, Ph.d., is a senior scientist with the Environmental Working Group, with a focus in PFAS. We're also joined by Melanie Benesh, Vice President of Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group, where she is an expert on toxic chemical regulation.
We also hear from scientists coming up with the next-generation of filters to remove these chemicals from our drinking water. Dr. Danielle Nachman, Ph.d, is senior scientist and project manager for the ‘Applied Chemistry and Physics Group’ at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/11/2023 • 25 minutes, 36 seconds
Joy, struggle and self-expression in work of artists with disabilities
Disability Pride Month started as a celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act--signed into law in July 1990. It marked a significant milestone for the civil rights of Americans with all kinds of disabilities. For people and advocates in the disabled community, Disability Pride month also means celebrating the full breadth of experience of those with disabilities. Make Studio in Baltimore City is hosting Disability Pride Arts Fest on July 15. Jill Scheibler, cofounder of Make Studio, joins the show. Also joining are two of the artists featured in the Disability Pride Arts Fest, Tyrone Weedon and Louis Middleton.
Later in the show, we take a look at a new art exhibit featuring the work of Judith Scott. She is a celebrated artist whose work has been shown at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., the Brooklyn Museum in New York City, and other prestigious museums. Scott started honing her craft only in her mid-40s.
Scott was born with Down syndrome in 1943, then rendered deaf by an attack of Scarlet Fever in her infancy. But her deafness went undiagnosed for years, and was interpreted as low IQ. She was considered ineducable and spent the next 36 years institutionalized.
Now the American Visionary Art Museum is featuring Scott’s work in a new solo exhibition, open through June 2024. The exhibit, “The Secret Within: the Art of Judith Scott,” includes the artist’s intricate sculptures, as well as personal perspectives on Scott’s life from some people close to her.
Gage Branda, a Curatorial and Development Coordinator at AVAM, joins us to describe the exhibit he helped assemble.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/10/2023 • 24 minutes, 30 seconds
The Peale: Baltimore's Community Museum
At the Peale, Baltimore’s Community Museum, two exhibits, worth a look: One explores the synergy between the work of Steven, Alexandra and Zac Posen, a father and his daughter and son. The other features local cartoonist Barbara Dale, not at all afraid to speak her mind, as she makes people laugh.
Jeffrey Kent, chief curator, gives us a preview of the two exhibits, which he hopes will inspire visitors to realize their own creativity that lies within.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/7/2023 • 15 minutes, 47 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Jeffrey Kent
Here is a Stoop Story from Jeffrey Kent about following his dream even when his family advised him otherwise … and how art saved his life.
Now, a quick turn to another local artist who has had the courage to follow his dreams. Landis Expandis, former lead singer of the rock-and-soul quintet The Almighty Senators; Also a DJ, a surreal and abstract painter. Landis Expandis’s music, energy and art bring joy and inspiration to many -- and now he is in a tough place. Expandis, who is immunocompromised, encountered a series of health challenges and has kidney and liver failure, the latter due to lymphoma.
The Baltimore arts community has rallied to offer support. Here’s part of the Go Fund Me page set up to help cover costs for him and his family:
“For the past 35 years, Landis Expandis has dedicated his soul to Baltimore crossover music, bringing us immense joy through music, painting, dance parties, and all around magic. Now it's time to ask for support for Baltimore's Best and his spouse in their time of need.”
We at On the Record send Landis our hopes for his continued recovery. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/6/2023 • 8 minutes, 47 seconds
What does the affirmative action ban mean for college enrollment, workforce diversity?
What’s next at selective colleges in Maryland, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has said they can’t consider race when they choose students? We ask Professor Julie J. Park of the University of Maryland and Scott Jaschik of Inside Higher Ed: What’s the value of diversity? And how can schools achieve it?
Links:What the Supreme Court Rejection of Affirmative Action Means What Could Colleges Do Without Affirmative Action? Affirmative action's end spells more isolation for students of colorDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/6/2023 • 25 minutes, 11 seconds
The Blueprint, Maryland's massive education reform plan, is underway. What changes are families and students seeing?
Parts of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future are starting to show up in families’ lives: like thousands of new slots in pre-K. Tutoring to help pupils read at grade level. We speak with Maryland Matters reporter William J. Ford and to Brit Kirwan, chancellor emeritus of the University System of Maryland, who led the charge for the Blueprint.
Links:Blueprint board could approve ‘majority’ of school system plans next monthBreaking down the Blueprint: Major changes ahead as Maryland plans dramatic expansion of early childhood educationDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/5/2023 • 25 minutes, 47 seconds
Escaping to freedom on the B&O Railroad
Growing up, children learn about the Underground Railroad. The secret route of hideouts and hidden pathways enslaved people used to claim their freedom. But it turns out that a part of the Underground Railroad network was actually… a real railroad.
The B&O Railroad Museum has a permanent exhibit showing how 27 enslaved people used the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to escape, or try to escape. Some stowed away, some disguised themselves, some walked the tracks.
We’re marking Independence Day by revisiting our conversation in October about the people who sought freedom along the B&O tracks. This episode recently won an award for Outstanding Public Affairs programming from The Chesapeake AP Broadcasters Association.
We’ll hear the risks they took from the museum’s executive director Kris Hoellen and Chris Haley of the Legacy of Slavery project at the Maryland archives. Learn more about Mt. Clare Station.
Plus, Julia-Ellen Craft Davis, recounts her great-great grandparents' brave mission to escape slavery in Georgia, traveling by train in a daring disguise.
The railroad museum is set to host Music for Mankind on July 14. Recording Artist Wordsmith will play music inspired by those who took the perilous journey to freedom along the Underground Railroad.
(Original Airdate, 10/11/22)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/4/2023 • 26 minutes
Dundalk Parade; Plus a dig into the colonial era
Got plans for the Fourth? We get a preview of the Dundalk Independence Day parade, which features giant balloons, bagpipes and more! Plus, we speak with an archeologist about a recent discovery: the unearthed remains of one of Maryland’s first colonists, a teen-ager.
Links: Dundalk Parade info, St. Mary's archeological finds, Historic St. Mary's City. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
7/3/2023 • 26 minutes, 43 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Catherine Deitch
Here's a Stoop Story from Catherine Deitch about traveling the globe in the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corp during World War Two.
Find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series -- including live events coming up, and the Stoop podcast at Stoopstorytelling.com.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/30/2023 • 8 minutes, 15 seconds
New children's book on Maryland's unsung Revolutionary War hero
If you remember back to learning about the Revolutionary War in school, you probably remember hearing about famous battles at Concord or New York. But you probably did not learn about the several thousand Black soldiers who fought for independence.
One of them was Thomas Carney, born in 1754 on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. A new book, The Story of Mr. Thomas Carney, tells the story of his life for young readers.
Steven Xavier Lee is the author. Lee is an educator, museum expert, designer and environmentalist who was founding director of the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park and Museum near Catonsville. He is an adjunct professor of history at Stevenson University and serves on the Maryland Commission on African-American History and Culture.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/30/2023 • 17 minutes, 32 seconds
Summer fun for Baltimore City youth!
Summer is here! What’s happening for young people in Baltimore? Turns out, a lot! We get a preview of ‘Story Tapestries’ -- music, art and performances that will delight kids in libraries across the state for July. Plus, great destinations open their doors for ‘Field Trip Fridays’.
Links: Story Tapestries, Baltimore's Promise, Summer meals in Baltimore City.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/29/2023 • 25 minutes, 45 seconds
Immigrant families impact on economy, labor in Balt. Co.
What impact do immigrants have on Baltimore County’s economy? What countries do the new residents hail from? We talk with Rich André who offers highlights from a new report, Gateways for Growth. Plus, Giuliana Valencia-Banks, Immigration Affairs Outreach Coordinator for the Baltimore County Office of Community Engagement, and Annette Karanja, head of Haki Zetu, about how the New Americans Task Force works to eliminate barriers and encourage empathy.
Links: Gateways for Growth, New Americans Task Force, Resources for Immigrants in Maryland.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/28/2023 • 25 minutes, 58 seconds
How the cannabis industry is preparing for the start of recreational sales
Starting this weekend, adults 21 and older will be able to buy recreational cannabis from dispensaries across the state. We ask Baltimore Business Journal reporter Matt Hooke what economic impact legal cannabis is expected to generate. Plus, Wendy Bronfein of Curio Wellness and Nicole Harrison of Mary & Main describe how businesses are preparing for new customers. Links:SunMed Growers expands with $16M cannabis edibles factory‘It’s going to be hot’: Maryland cannabis firms stockpile and staff up for big demand starting SaturdayMaryland's recreational marijuana bill will open marketplace in July, allow for pot cafésDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/27/2023 • 25 minutes, 50 seconds
Biographer John Frece chronicles the life of U.S. Senator Daniel Brewster
Dan Brewster had everything a mid-20th-century Democratic politician in Maryland could want: strong voter base, beautiful family, wealth. It unraveled spectacularly, due to his alcoholism and failing to see how voters were changing and not changing.
We talk to Brewster’s biographer, journalist John Frece, who's written, "Self-Destruction: The rise, fall and redemption of U.S. Senator Daniel B. Brewster."
This afternoon at 4 p.m., Frece will discuss the book at the Maryland Horse Library and Education Center, 321 Main Street in Reistertown. On Aug. 1, he’ll talk about "Self-Destruction" at the Ivy Bookshop, 5928 Falls Road in Baltimore.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/26/2023 • 25 minutes, 43 seconds
Puerto Rican pride at Tola's Room!
Tola’s Room engages all the senses. The home museum is chock full of photos, food offerings, music and artifacts -- all inspired by the spirit of Puerto Rico -- and in memory of the family patriarch. We hear from its creator, artist and educator Christina Delgado.
Links: Tola's Room, Un Verano en Baltimore! happening Saturday 6/24 from 5 to 8pm, Bmore Art interview with Christina Delgado.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/23/2023 • 13 minutes, 25 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Justin Fair
Here's a Stoop Story from Justin Fair about embracing his fearlessness … and finding himself along the way.
Find more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series -- including live events coming up, and the Stoop podcast at Stoopstorytelling.com .
Pride is this week! There are lots of events including the fabulous parade that kicks off Saturday at 1:00 PM. The route begins at North Charles and 33rd Street, and heads south toward WYPR! Where there will be a welcoming committee! From 3 to 9 p.m, the Pride Block Party along Charles Street between 23rd and North Avenue will showcase an array of vendors, food, DJ’s and talent!Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/23/2023 • 11 minutes, 37 seconds
Ahead of Pride, a look back at vibrant local LGTBQ+ histories
In the 1970s, the Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore was the center of a vibrant LGTBQ+ community. The Washington Monument in the heart of Mount Vernon saw rallies for gay rights in the 1970s and ‘80s, and in 1975 the first gay Pride rally was held near the foot of the monument.
Mount Vernon is also where one of the first support groups for people with AIDS formed in April 1983. The group met in the First & Franklin Presbyterian Church, a unique pillar of a growing LGTBQ community.
John McLucas is a long-time member and Church Elder at First & Franklin. He joins the show to talk about the history of the congregation, the social justice mission at the heart of the church's faith and how today's worshippers wrestle with sexuality and religious creed.
Then, the Maryland Center for History and Culture hosts an array of books, pamphlets, artifacts, photographs and more reflecting local LGTBQ+ life.
Abby Doran, an education programs specialist, and Sandra Glascock, a special collections archivist, talk about the collection. What can we learn from the center’s LGBTQ+ items and the history they preserve?Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/22/2023 • 26 minutes, 7 seconds
New historical fiction novel American Ending asks, who gets to be American?
The new novel American Ending by Mary Kay Zuravleff received praise from a range of critics. Oprah selected it for her Best Books for Spring reading list. Kirkus Reviews gushed that the voice of the young narrator, Yelena, is so vivid, “it feels like Zuravleff is channeling a real person.”
But there must be something beyond the irresistible writing that makes us care so much about Yelena and her family. After all, these characters, most of them immigrants, lived more than a century ago in a mining town at the southwestern edge of Pennsylvania. What do they have in common with us?
The Mariana Mine is part of the story. The mine was built to be safe, but 152 miners died in an explosion there. It was the tenth deadliest explosion in American mining history.
Another significant historical event featuring as part of Zuravleff's novel is the Expatriation Act. Learn more on NPR’s “Code Switch” and at the National Archives.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/20/2023 • 24 minutes, 4 seconds
Granddaughter's perspective: Ed Sullivan modeled antiracism
Seventy five years ago - on June 20th 1948 - Ed Sullivan, the slightly awkward but lovable TV variety show host, first made his way into American homes. Toast of the Town, later renamed The Ed Sullivan Show, would be seen by millions every Sunday night for more than two decades, from 1948 to 1971. Sullivan did more than entertain. ‘Sunday Best’ a new documentary produced by his granddaughter, Margo Precht Speciale looks at how and why, during a time of fierce segregation, Sullivan was never afraid to cross racial lines when booking his show.
Beginning June 20th, see a happy anniversary clip from the show, HERE. Fans can also tune into the YouTube channel the week of the anniversary to see key performance clips by Tony Bennett “What The World Needs Now Is Love/I've Gotta Be Me/People/What The World Needs Now Is Love (Reprise)” on June 18th; The 5th Dimension “Up, Up & Away” on June 19th; and Connie Francis “Second Hand Love” on June 25th. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/19/2023 • 12 minutes, 37 seconds
Inaugural Juneteenth celebration in Savage, Md!
Juneteenth commemorates the abolition of slavery in the U.S., and more specifically it celebrates the news of the 1863 emancipation finally making it to enslaved people Texas, at the far west of the confederate states, more than two years later.
Maryland has observed Juneteenth since 2014, but it didn’t become a federal holiday until two years ago. This afternoon at 5 p.m. Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall in Savage—20 miles south of Baltimore in Howard county— will host its first Juneteenth celebration.
We hear from Norma Broadwater, manager of Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall and from Ireatha Leona Woods, organizer of the event and proprietor of Leona’s Sewing Studio.
Links: Juneteenth Celebration at Carroll Baldwin Memorial Hall, Leona's Sewing Studio.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/19/2023 • 12 minutes, 28 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Jabari Lyles
Here’s a Stoop story from Jabari Lyles about dancing to your own rhythm. Lyles, former Director of LGBTQ Affairs for the Baltimore Mayor’s Office, talks about founding his high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.
There is a live Stoop shows coming next Friday.
On June 23rd, at the Smith Theatre at Howard Community College, the Stoop will share stories on the theme, “These are the People in Our Neighborhood: Stories about community, conflict, culture and coming together.” You can hear more stories at Stoopstorytelling.com.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/16/2023 • 8 minutes, 49 seconds
In 'More Than I Imagined' a journalist learns the secret of his absent mother
Journalist John Blake grew up in West Baltimore, the son of a Black sailor and a white mother, who vanished after his birth. In his memoir, “More Than I Imagined,” Blake details his search for his mother and his identity.
As John got older, he searched for answers about his family. Why had his mother left? Was she alive? And where did he fit in the world, as a self-described, “closeted biracial person?”John Blake reflects on these questions in his memoir, “More Than I Imagined: What a Black Man Discovered About the White Mother He Never Knew.” Blake is an award-winning journalist for CNN, who has covered race and religion. His first book was “Children of the Movement,” which profiles adult children of leaders of the Civil Rights Movement.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/16/2023 • 17 minutes, 9 seconds
Tick season is here, how can you protect yourself? Plus, conserving Baltimore's green sanctuaries
As shorts and tank-tops come out for summer, tiny blood-thirsty ticks see an all-you-can-eat buffet. Tick-borne illnesses have been climbing in the United States, a steady surge in several diseases carried by ticks like Lyme Disease and Babesiosis.
Plus, most of us know about Patterson Park. But Baltimore is also home to hundreds of scattered, smaller pockets of green, too. And conservationist say they are critical to human and non-human inhabitants alike.
Katie Lautar is Executive Director of Baltimore Green Space, a non-profit helping local communities manage and advocate for parks, gardens and other pockets of nature in their neighborhood
Sylvester Myers also joins us. He’s a community member who’s part of Baltimore Green Space’s Forest Stewardship Network.
Find out more about how to get involved and learn more about the green spaces in your neighborhood on their website.
But first, what’s behind the rise in tickborne illness? And what can you do to protect yourself?
Nicole Baumgarth is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She arrived last September to head the public health school's new Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute. She is also a doctor of veterinary medicine.
You can learn more about the geography of tickborne disease on the Johns Hopkins Lyme and Tickborne Disease Dashboard.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/15/2023 • 25 minutes, 29 seconds
Mentors make the difference
Applying to college is an arduous process. Top picks, admission tests, financial aid, extracurriculars … the list goes on. A non-profit mentors immigrant youth unfamiliar with the process. We hear from the founder, Erin Sullivan, and from Judith Menjivar and Javier Orellana Ostorga, two college students who are reaching for their dreams.
Links: Chesapeake Language Project.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/14/2023 • 24 minutes, 47 seconds
No do-overs; Plus, entrepreneur support
The poise and self-possession NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly exudes as a cohost on All Things Considered is not always how she feels inside. In Kelly's new book, she shares a very personal tale; a chronicle of her struggle to find time for family and friends as her globetrotting career grasps for every minute.
Her new book is ‘It Goes So Fast: The Year of No Do-Overs.’ As her oldest son prepares for college after years of missed soccer practices and birthdays, Kelly realizes there won’t always be a next time.Plus, a local mom and entrepreneur is helping parents to pursue their own business while raising their families. Tammira Lucas and her sister TeKesha Jamison founded The Cube Cowork in 2016. The co-working space in East Baltimore, on Harford Road, opened during the pandemic.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
If Maryland has a superpower, it might be the insights and energy of entrepreneurs across the state, identifying something customers want, and would be willing to pay for, if there were only a company making and selling it. You do not have to look far to find start-ups trying to make their businesses work. We speak with local entrepreneurs involved in two ventures at Towson University and Community College of Baltimore County.
The CCBC's Center for Business Innovation is hosting “B’More Bold Business Conference for Entrepreneurs and Innovators" today. Several hundred people are gathering this morning near BWI at the Maritime Conference Conference Center to brainstorm solutions for start-ups and growing businesses. Across town at the Armory in Towson, another set of entrepreneurs were rolling up their sleeves and getting to work. Towson University’s StarTUp welcomed its fifth cohort of founders of new ventures, mostly women, minorities or veterans, who have ideas for businesses in medicine, finance, human resources, food and more.
Dennis Sullivan, Executive Director and Associate Professor at CCBC's Center for Business Innovation, and Tasha Lee, owner of Tasha Flowers, join us to talk about cultivating growing business ideas.
Later in the show we are joined by Patrick McQuown, who had two decades as an entrepreneur, mentor and educator when he joined Towson University in early 2020 as director of entrepreneurship. Kobby Osei-Kusi took part in last summer's cohort at StarTUp. He founded a company called Pirl Technology, working to develop more effective chargers, for cellphones and for electric vehicles and other devices. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/12/2023 • 25 minutes, 1 second
Harrison out, Worley in
What does the departure of Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison mean for the city’s fight against crime -- and its efforts to interrupt violence? We ask City Councilman Mark Conway, Baltimore Banner reporter Emily Sullivan, and West Baltimore citizen-safety advocate Ray Kelly their thoughts.
Links: Citizens Policing Project, Baltimore Banner reporting by Emily Sullivan.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/9/2023 • 24 minutes, 17 seconds
Books ignite the belief in a positive future
Reading creates empathy, drives literacy, and in some cases offers an escape. Freedom Reads, a program to be installed this week in juvenile and correctional facilities in Maryland, will bring dozens of new books -- and all the imagination they conjure -- to young people in the system. We talk to its founder, Reginald Dwayne Betts, and new secretary of Juvenile Services, Vincent Schiraldi.
Links: Freedom Reads , Banner Reporting:‘I had to protect myself’: What Maryland is doing to stop kids from seeking guns; Juvenile services agency teaches kids to find their way on a Western Maryland lake
Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/8/2023 • 26 minutes, 14 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Towanda Carter
Here's a Stoop Story from Towanda Carter about always reaching … always believing, … never failing to believe in yourself. You can hear more stories at Stoopstorytelling.com .Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/7/2023 • 6 minutes, 20 seconds
Celebrate Juneteenth!
Govans Presbyterian church has big plans for Juneteenth this year! It involves two church choirs, performers from the Baltimore Symphony Musicians Foundation, and selections of Jazz, gospel and R&B! We get a preview from co-creators Lea Gilmore, who is a vocalist and the Minister for Racial Justice & Multicultural Engagement and music director at Govans, and Jonathan Jensen, BSO bassist. Plus, MORE ways to mark the holiday from Baltimore Beat’s arts and culture editor Teri Henderson!
Links: Juneteenth Jubilee Community Concert at Govans Church, Donnell’s Day at Ames Memorial United Methodist Church, H3irloom at Walters Art Museum, Black Celebration at Ottobar, An Opulent Juneteenth, at The Compound.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/7/2023 • 19 minutes, 57 seconds
The health of the Chesapeake Bay sees gradual, but uneven, upswing
A report card on the health of the Chesapeake Bay released today looks beyond the traditional indicators of nitrogen, phosphorus and water, and reviews what’s going on with the people in the bay’s massive watershed.
On ecological indicators the new report card by UMCES, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, finds the bay is making progress, though the watersheds of some of the rivers that feed the Bay are not as healthy.
Later in the show, Maryland Secretary of Natural Resources Josh Kurtz joins us to discuss the invasive and indigenous creatures in the bay. After years of falling numbers, are crab populations moving in the right direction?
Bill Dennison, UMCES vice president for Science Application, joins us first to discuss the report card's new findings. Dennison is a professor of marine science and will become UMCES interim president in September.
The UMCES report includes a new component; environmental justice. It finds marked disparities. Suburbs tend to show lower impacts of environmental stress than cities and rural areas.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/6/2023 • 25 minutes, 39 seconds
Pass the Mic: Happy Pride!
Today we Pass the Mic to LGBTQ advocate and educator Jabari Lyles. His guest -- Londyn Smith de Richelieu, Baltimore City’s new Director of LGBTQ Affairs -- talks about the need to change the culture and attitude toward trans folks from within City Hall.
Then Lyles is joined by Legacy Forte, head of BMORE BLXCK, talking about resources they provide for Black trans youth and Toby, a trans tenth-grader at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, on the message he picks up from youth-centered anti-trans legislation across the US:
“They want to send the message to younger people because they want to tell them when they’re young: your existence is wrong. You shouldn’t feel safe in your existence. You shouldn’t feel ok with your existence.”
Links: Baltimore Office of LGBTQ Affairs, BMORE BLXCK, Trans Maryland resources, The PRIDE Center of Maryland, PRIDE 2023 events
Original airdate: 6/14/22Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/5/2023 • 25 minutes, 17 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Phillip Pack
Here is a Stoop Story from Phillip Pack about overcoming decades of racism at Bethlehem Steel and why working together means much more than just finishing the job
For more information about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including upcoming live events and the Stoop podcast - go to Stoopstorytelling.com
Tomorrow, the Charles Street promenade is back -- not a festival but a pedestrian takeover of the historical avenue. No cars from 9 a.m. to to 9 p.m., from Saratoga Street to North Avenue … so it’s easy to stroll and shop, enjoy live music, fun for kids, and pop-ups!
On Thursday evening, check out REVIVE, a home and fashion show with the goal of reviving the drooping fashion and upholstery industries. The Cavanagh House, which offers apprenticeships in these skilled trades, will showcase collections from students in its fashion, home and upholstery programs -- plus award-winning couture designers and tailors from Charm City. Thursday, June 8, 6 to 9 pm. At 701 E. Pratt Street.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/2/2023 • 9 minutes, 13 seconds
Six years into the consent decree, what progress has the Baltimore Police Department made?
Today: an update on the federal consent decree the Baltimore Police Department undertook six years ago. We speak with members of the monitoring team about progress on training, use of force, and sexual assault investigations. Plus, 500 officers short, what happens to community engagement?
Guests:Kenneth Thompson, monitorSeth Rosenthal, deputy monitorEvan Shea, subject matter expertLinks:Outcome Assessment and Audit of Sexual Assault Investigations (May 2023)Compliance Review and Outcome Assessment Regarding Use Of Force (December 2022)Second Comprehensive Assessment Report (December 2022)BPD TransparencyDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
6/1/2023 • 25 minutes, 58 seconds
The rise of the Spotted Lanternfly. Plus, locals say less lawn and more indigenous flora
This sprightly invasive insect, native to parts of China and Vietnam, was first sighted in the United States in 2014. Since then, the Spotted Lanternfly has spread to 14 states, including nearly every county in Maryland.
Its voracious appetite and rapid population growth has made it a high-priority invasive pest for scientists and pest management agencies across the nation.
Kenton Sumpter, an entomologist who works in the Spotted Lanternfly Suppression Program for the Maryland Department of Agriculture, joins us to discuss the tiny planthopper, its life cycle and the threat it poses to Maryland's native flora and fauna.
Sightings of Spotted Lanternfly can be reported on the Maryland Department of Agriculture's website. Additional information on the pest can be found there, as well.
Plus, a fresh-cut lawn is seen as a classy sign of status for many people. But for others its a sign of ecological degradation.
Now, some organizations are trying to encourage less lawns and more indigenous plant life. The Green Townson Alliance began holding the Native Garden Contest in 2020 to encourage the growth of native plants, shrubs and trees in yards in Towson neighborhoods.
Tanya Ray is a winner from last year’s Native Garden Contest. She was awarded in the Breaking Ground category for newly planted native gardens. Ray joins us to talk about the inspiration behind her garden, and how new gardeners can take their first steps towards including more indigenous plants.
Photo credit: Stephen Ausmus/USDA Agricultural Research ServiceDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/31/2023 • 25 minutes, 30 seconds
Future transit plans; and the new Transportation Equity Act
How’s your highway commute? Or -- does your bus arrive on time? Is there enough room? The Baltimore Regional Transportation Board has a new plan called 'Resilience 2050: Adapting to the Challenges of Tomorrow,' and wants to know what users think about it. We talk with Mike Kelly, Baltimore Metropolitan Council president and Todd Lang, Director Of Transportation Planning at BMC, to learn more. Plus, the ‘Transportation Equity Act’ is now law - Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition president Samuel Jordan explains the power behind the new law.
Links: Resilience 2050: Adapting to the Challenges of Tomorrow executive summary; BRTB public engagement hub; Community comment meetings for BTRB's plan; Baltimore Transit Equity Coalition; what is in the Transportation Equity Act; MTA Maryland public transportation schedules and routes.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/30/2023 • 25 minutes, 33 seconds
Marylanders reflect on sacrifice and service on Memorial Day
Memorial Day was first celebrated nationwide on May 30, 1868, just a few years after the end of the American Civil War. The holiday commemorates U.S. military personnel who died in conflicts past and present, domestic and abroad. Many of those who serve today were inspired by the men and women who came before them. Harriet Straus is one of those people. Her military and later civilian career in nursing led her to the University of Maryland, where she is now Manager of Nursing Clinical Education at the Rehabilitation and Orthopedic Institute. There, she helps train staff and assists patients—many who are veterans themselves.
Straus joins us to talk about her service and the family and friends that inspire her to care for her patients.
Near Timonium, the Memorial Day ceremony at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens is in its 56th year. Jack Mitchell, President of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, joins us to talk about today's ceremony.
You can watch it live, starting at 10am on May 29, 2023, on their livestream.
(Photo credit: Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens)Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/29/2023 • 25 minutes, 42 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Angie
Here is Stoop Story from Angie about finding genuine connection and love.
Next Thursday you’ll have the chance to hear more Stoop Stories! The Stoop is partnering with the Queer Jewish Arts Festival and the Creative Alliance to present, “Glitter, Gefilte, Guilt and Guts: Stories by People who are Jewish, Queer, and Here!” The event is Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 7:30 pm at the Creative Alliance. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 21 seconds
'LGBTQIA(sian)' explores queer and Asian identities through theater
Communities have come together to celebrate the diversity of Asian experiences throughout Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. As part of Baltimore's Asia North festival, "LGBTQIA(sian)" will explore the intersection of Asian and queer identities through theater.
Rohaizad Suaidi is an adjunct professor of theater at Towson University and the University of Maryland Baltimore County. We ask about the power of theater and why representation matters.
LGBTQIA(sian) will take place next Thursday, at 7 pm at The Parlor.
Although Asia North is wrapping up, there are a few other events to catch. Next Friday, June 2, a closing celebration will include dance and music performances. The next day, Saturday June 3rd, a walking tour will explore the restaurants and landmarks that make up Baltimore’s historic Koreatown. And there is art connected to the festival’s theme - TRANSition/TRANSformation/TRANScendence - on display at The Parlor and Motor House through June 3rd.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/26/2023 • 16 minutes, 27 seconds
Overcoming barriers to prenatal care
Prenatal care leads to better health outcomes for both mothers and babies. A new partnership in Baltimore offers prenatal care to patients experiencing homelessness and connects families to essential services. Plus, a look at the Healthy Babies Equity Act, which goes into effect this summer.
Guests:Dr. Iris Leviner, the Director of Pediatrics and Family Medicine for Health Care for the Homeless and the Interim Senior Medical Director at the group's Fallsway clinicDr. Yves-Richard Dole, an obstetrician/gynecologist with Metropolitan OB/GYN, a team of physicians affiliated with The Family Childbirth and Children's Center at Mercy Medical CenterCindy Kolade, the Baltimore Health Navigation and Social Service Manager for CASALinks:Undocumented immigrants’ fight for pregnancy care through MedicaidWith ‘Healthy Babies Equity Act,’ Maryland Will Join Other States that Provide Prenatal Care Regardless of Immigration StatusHealth Coverage and Care of ImmigrantsDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/25/2023 • 24 minutes, 1 second
What are the Baltimore Police Department's District Action Teams?
In the fight against gun violence, Baltimore police are deploying units called District Action Teams. We speak with journalist Brandon Soderberg, whose new article in Baltimore Magazine delves into how they operate.
Read: After The Gun Trace Task Force Scandal, BPD Established New Plainclothes Units. Are They More Of The Same?
Then, Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison on the goals of District Actions Teams, the uptick in youth violence, and recruiting more officers.
Read: BPD's Year 4 Review of Accomplishments of its Crime Reduction & Departmental Transformation PlanDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/24/2023 • 24 minutes, 47 seconds
The intersection of Black and disabled identities
People with disabilities face challenges everyday in a world that mostly caters to able-bodied folks. For people of color those challenges are multiplied. We hear from three advocates - Crystal Brockington, Janice Jackson and Keyonna Mayo, from the IMAGE Center for People with Disabilities, about their life experiences and what they do to teach empathy and understanding.
Links: IMAGE Center, Expectations Matter, TransCen, IMAGE Center bike build, IMAGE Center What I Wish For customized devices, Women Embracing Abilities Now, Maryland Statewide Independent Living Council.
TRANSCRIPT:
Sheilah Kast: We're on the record. I'm Sheilah Kast. Good morning. One in every four Americans lives with a disability. According to the latest statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Disabilities can be physical, cognitive, emotional and also invisible. The image Center for People with Disabilities in Towson provides creative solutions to the challenges associated with living with a disability. Today is an encore of our conversation from April with Krystal Brockington, director of the Out and About program. Brockington is also a certified Maryland Developmental Disabilities Administration support broker. I started by asking what the image Center provides for people in the disabled community.
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: The image center is part of the Aging and Disability Resource Centers and we serve the area for over ten years. We serve Baltimore County, Harford County and Baltimore City, where very small nonprofits staffed by people with disabilities. At least 90% of our staff are people with the disability professionals with disability. We also have sister centers for independent living that serve all of the areas throughout Maryland. So really the entire state is covered and we typically provide service to about several hundred people per year, and we have over about 20 programs and services available. Some of those include independent living. So we have independent living planning skills, trainings and information and referral services to help people who are just sort of stuck. They're not sure what to do. We're always a good call for that. We also do veterans support planning for veterans and the veteran directed care program. A lot of veterans will use home services through their VA benefits, and they just need help planning those services to cover throughout the entire month and year. We have an assistive technology program which is really awesome and offers some financial assistance for assistive technology. We also have a lending library and we are part of the Maryland Accessible Telecommunications Program that will help people get evaluated for various types of accessible telecommunications. And as it turns out, we see a lot of people don't even know, like, you know, what devices are out there.
SHEILAH KAST: You direct the out and about program. What is that for?
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: That is the nursing home transition program. We provide outreach to nursing facilities and we also assist people with applying for the Medicaid home and community-based services programs. And we also educate people about money falls to persons, which is like a few transition funds and benefits available to people leaving facilities. Mean we've also, you know, over time I think that it has been proven that it's less costly to age in place. So the image center has a number of programs aimed to help people do that.
SHEILAH KAST: The image center is in the process of conducting some focus groups. What are those about?
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: Yes. So our newest partnership is with the mid-Atlantic Regional ADA Center, and these are focus groups for people that are African American people of color that have disability. And 70% of the people that we serve are actually people of color or African Americans. So we decided that it was time to have this conversation to help people kind of explore and understand how we use our rights and access our rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act, right? Like if there's more room for understanding our rights and things like that, then maybe we could improve the knowledge and use to help reduce the disparities that people see in employment or community living. Actually, through a lot of the focus groups, many people say their first experience with the discrimination was in school.
SHEILAH KAST: This is on the record. I'm Sheilah Kast speaking with Crystal Brockington of the Image Center for People with Disabilities in Towson. The nonprofit provides solutions and support for those who live with disabilities and their caregivers. Brockington directs the Out and About program. Tell me more about what you are hoping to learn from these focus groups.
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: We're hoping to learn more about the experiences of people of color with disability. Really? Like, you know. Were you supported when you face discrimination or were you alone? Were you able to get help? Did you know where to go or was this like a long journey? And I think for some people it was a long journey, right? I mean, I think our goal is to eventually design, test and disseminate practical approaches and remedies to help improve people's knowledge and access. So like when they're facing something, they know how to say, well, you know, I'm protected under this act, you know, or this is my. Right to receive education and be accommodated.
SHEILAH KAST: Well, let me ask you, as as a woman of color living with a disability, what would you like listeners to better understand about your experience?
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: Um, you know, it's it is really a tough thing to pull apart because as you experience it, you might not at first until looking back, realize what happened. As far as disability. A lot of times people are facing like a certain type of stigma or pity, you know? Oh, and things like that. And then in different like structural barriers that perhaps with like creative solutions can be addressed. But when you find out that it's because of your race or your color, that's hate, right? That's hate and that's fear. And that's not something that is you know, you can exactly think your way out of that is based on a social conditioning. That has to change. Right? And sometimes it can be very dehumanizing. You know, it already is dehumanizing to have someone look at you and assume what your abilities are. Right. Just based on whatever they see. And then, you know, to have hate on top of it, it could be painful, you know? I have a different fight.
SHEILAH KAST: I have the impression you have felt this yourself. Can you tell me about a moment?
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: Definitely. I mean, you know, I faced it going to college. You know, I faced it where I was flat out told by one of the registrar's, a person like you shouldn't be in an institution like this, you know? And at that point, I hadn't even gotten to the part of asking for accommodations, you know. But.
SHEILAH KAST: But you felt in that moment it was aimed at you because you're African American, not because of your disability.
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: Right. Right. You know, most of the time I have to disclose my disability because I have a hidden disability, you know, So I kind of have to really have a candid conversation about with folk about how my disability impacts me and what it is that I would need as an accommodation. But um, yeah, it's been tough, you know, even with medical visits, you know, you go to the doctor and you're saying, Hey, you know, I know I have these XYZ problems, but I feel like I could do more and maybe they don't believe in you, or maybe they just don't want to take the time to speak to you because of who you are, right? Because of your race or your heritage. So it's definitely hard to say. Separate the two and figure out which one is one more over the other versus just the overall experience of it.
SHEILAH KAST: What do you think might come from these focus groups?
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: I think as a community we're going to learn more about each other. That has definitely already occurred, and I think that people will learn that it's okay to speak about it. You know, I think in certain ways there's still fear about even talking about it or like a lot of people battle their obstacles individually and not in a unified way. Right. And so I think that at least some of that community building and coalition will come. And then I also believe that through the work that the regional center is doing, I think we'll actually we'll have a means of designing and testing practical approaches to help people access the information or get help faster. Right. So that they're not saying, okay, this just occurred to me, well, I'll sit on it for a few weeks, maybe I won't say anything about it. Right. Or maybe I just won't get that job. I won't get that job. I won't go to that school. You know, I'll find somewhere else that's more accepting, right? So I think we'll be able to break down more barriers.
SHEILAH KAST: Crystal, I'm grateful to you for talking to us about this. And it's important for those of us who who aren't thinking about this often to hear from you. So I'm very grateful. Thank you.
CRYSTAL BROCKINGTON: Thank you. Thank you for giving us the platform for doing this.
SHEILAH KAST: Crystal Brockington directs the Out and About program at the Image Center for People with Disabilities in Towson. We've been talking about work they're doing to better address challenges some of their clients have, navigating both racist and ableist attitudes. Short break on the record when we're back to advocates for the disabled community, talk about their personal experiences. I'm Sheilah Kast. Stay with us.
SHEILAH KAST: Welcome back to On the Record. I'm Sheilah Kast. Today, we're revisiting a conversation from April about the layered experience of living with a disability and living as a person of color. We just heard about focus groups conducted by the Image Center, which offers resources and support for people with disabilities. The Image Center hopes input from the focus groups will help educate their clients, business owners and the public. Next, we heard from two advocates in the disability community, Janice Jackson, who is chair of the Image Center Board and founder of WEAN Women Embracing Abilities Now and Keyonna Mayo, who works in the Image Center's out and about and connect grow programs. First, Janice explained why she started with an Women Embracing Abilities Now.
JANICE JACKSON: Sure. Well WEAN is my baby and was birthed out of three support groups that I've had over the span of my life as a woman with a disability. In 1984, I joined the community as a 24-year-old woman. So I went from my able bodied woman to a woman living in a disability community and back in the 80s, you know, pre ADA pre a lot of the legislations that we have now. You know, there wasn't a lot of support out there for a woman with a disability. I didn't know any other women with disabilities. I had no one to go to to just. Talk to or someone to just help me navigate through the disability community. And that was the beginning of my first support group while I was still in rehab because I know I wasn't the only woman feeling like that. So I gathered, you know, the women that were there with me, and that was the start of connecting with other women and just going over, you know, our challenges and what we had to face. So, you know, three support groups later back in 2005, actually combined all those support groups together to establish wean women embracing abilities now. And we've been going strong since that time and just really have reached thousands of women with the connection that they're not the only one that's going through what they're going through.
SHEILAH KAST: And when you said you joined the disability community, but of course, it's not a choice what happened?
JANICE JACKSON: Yes. At the age of 24, I was standing talking to a girl friend of mine and this young guy, 18 years old, was smoking a cigarette and he dropped it in his lap and lost control of his car and hit me. He came up where I was and hit me and I flew 40ft in the air and broke my neck. Oh, my.
SHEILAH KAST: Gosh.
JANICE JACKSON: Yeah. So at the age of 24, my life was, you know, on track to where I wanted to be. My goals were being met. And in a matter of a second, my life changed forever. And they flew me to shock trauma. And that started my journey, you know, through the disability experience and never knowing I would be here 40 years later. But I believe this was my calling and this is where I was supposed to do to impact my mission on helping women with disabilities.
SHEILAH KAST: Keyonna, we heard earlier about the image Center's out and about program. Tell us more about Connect Grow.
KEYONNA MAYO: With that program. You know, we're just getting people, um, teenagers and young adults from the ages of 14 to 24, you know, those independent living skills and that job readiness training. And we're just building up their confidence, getting them to set their goals and things that they're interested in, helping them with their resume and just doing even more interviews.
SHEILAH KAST: You both participated in the focus groups conducted by the Image Center, looking at the intersection of being a person of color and a person with a disability. Keyonna, as a black woman in the disabled community, can you give me an example of what you've experienced?
KEYONNA MAYO: Well, you know, when I, um, when I got out of the hospital and I did my rehab, um, I called up the doors program and my mother went with me. I had my resume and, you know, my portfolio because I graduated college with a degree in child development. So, my goal was to get back to teaching and go to doors. And I guess it maybe should have been at home in that it was a young lady that was outside, and she was actually crying. But I was late for my own appointment, and I just wanted to get in there and talk to the counselor about how they can help me get back into the workforce. And I've done all of this talking. And the first thing that he says to me is, well, you know, I'm not a wheelchair expert, but don't know if you'll be able to chase after the children, you know? And in that moment, I needed to be lifted up and not really put down. And I don't know if he he's just been there too long or did race play a part of it or whether just because of my disability, it really, you know, took a little blow to my confidence. You know, I'm thinking I'm coming here and I'll be leaving here with some guidance and a job, you know, and some places to go to figure this all out. And that's not what I got.
SHEILAH KAST: Janice, have you had an experience like that.
JANICE JACKSON: As a person with a disability? We are the educators, you know, and things that we face some people don't even know. That they have biases towards. But unless they're art or unless we speak up on our injustices, some people will never get it. And you know, as a woman with a disability, a black woman with a disability and now aging woman with a disability. All of my intersections are here and I can't separate one from the other. But what I can do is educate people. And yes, I've had situations where, you know, ableism stepped into the room where, you know, people look at things through the lens of someone without a disability. But as an educator, you know, that's how I handle situations because getting mad and upset is just adding to the negative stereotypes that, you know, people with disabilities are angry. So I've always channeled myself and being that that voice for our community because we have to be heard and if we don't speak up, nothing will ever change.
SHEILAH KAST: Janice, what do you hope comes from the focus groups that the Image Center is doing?
JANICE JACKSON: What I hope to come from these focus groups is just education. You know, we have to have the hard conversations. You know, we have to educate our community, you know, especially those of us. Who are dealing with different isms, whoever's racism, sexism, ableism. You know, and when I roll into a room, I'm not sure which ism is on display at that point, but I know it's there. But, you know, some may be experiencing stuff but can't put a name to it. But these focus groups really just give us a platform to open up to have that real talk. And really it's about education and just giving them ammunition as we struggle through the battles that we face every day in our community.
SHEILAH KAST: Keyonna, what are you looking for from the focus groups?
KEYONNA MAYO: You know, that's my hope, too, that, you know, it just really people understand some of the things that we we do go through and it makes them you know, when they see something wrong, they could speak up and say something, you know. Equality for us is equality for everybody.
SHEILAH KAST: This is on the record on WYPR, I’m Sheilah Kast speaking with disability rights advocates Keyonna Mayo and Janice Jackson. We're talking about their experiences as a women of color who also live with a disability. The Image Center for People with Disabilities is conducting focus groups on the topic.
SHEILAH Kast: Janice The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed in July 1990. It defines regulations required to accommodate people with all kinds of disabilities that allow them to carry out their everyday activities. And yet, more than three decades after the ADA became law, frustrations remain about access and equality. Janice, why do you think that is?
JANICE JACKSON: I truly believe, and this is with any law, you know, you can have laws for days, but if these laws are not enacted or enforced, then they're just words on a piece of paper. And while the ADA has allowed us to move and to gain some momentum, we still have a long way to go. You know, we're still fighting those same battles as hard as we were before the Americans with Disabilities Act. You know, every area that we deal with, it seems like we have taken steps back. You know, the things that we're facing now, housing, there's no housing there’s, you know, transportation, education, employment, you know, all of these are still battles for our community. And, you know, there's been you know, we've undergone some social and racial reckoning with like the MeToo movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. But the disability community is yet to see a movement, the movement that we need to be successful as a minority.
SHEILAH KAST: Keyonna in July, it'll be 33 years since the ADA became law. What are your thoughts about why frustrations are still around?
KEYONNA MAYO: I'll be 40, you know, like this year, and just to think about it, have benefited, you know, over these 17 years being in the disability community. Yes, I have. But there's still so much more that we have to go, you know, to get true equality. And the hardest part is changing hearts and minds. You know, it's getting people to see that, you know, it's just not about the average disabled person. It's about equality for all of us. If I'm able to freely get on the sidewalk and go and live my life, you know, that is the mother with her stroller is able to my aunt, who had knee replacement is able to you know. And so we just we have to get everyone thinking that, you know you just can't think of yourself sometimes you got to think of the community as a whole and what we all need. And you know that true equality, until we are free, really, none of us are free.
SHEILAH KAST: Janice, what do you see as solutions to some of these challenges?
JANICE JACKSON: It starts with each individual. You know, my mom used to tell me that everyone can't do everything, but everyone can do something. And it starts with people breaking down these attitudinal barriers, dealing with their personal feelings about someone who's different from them. You know, because as we change our attitudes, and we change how we look at people with disabilities or how we look at people who are African American or we look at people just different. The work starts with a person. And if I think if people just start being real with themselves and having those hard conversations with themselves, I think together, you know, these people can come with a clear vision of just helping someone, you know, that needs help and in their community and not just turning a blind eye or live with those biases and prejudices. So I think it starts with individual people and then it branches out into the communities.
SHEILAH KAST: I'm grateful to you both for getting us started on this conversation and these hard questions. Thank you.
JANICE JACKSON: You're welcome.
KEYONNA MAYO: You're welcome.
SHEILAH KAST: Keyonna Mayo works with clients at the Image Center for People with Disabilities. Janice Jackson, who chairs the image Center's board, founded WEAN Women Embracing Abilities Now. We've been talking about their life experiences, how they navigate both racist and ableist attitudes and the need for education. We have more information about all the resources we discussed at the On the Record page at npr.org. I'm Sheilah Kast. Glad you're with us on the record. Come back tomorrow.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/23/2023 • 25 minutes, 51 seconds
The frontlines of a housing affordability crisis. Plus, blight and Baltimore's tax sale
As federal and state housing assistance dries up, parts of Maryland are seeing rates of eviction surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
The Washington Post reports that in Montgomery County, the number of evictions in January and February were three times higher than in the same time period last year.
In a recent investigation, the Baltimore Banner took a closer look at evictions in Anne Arundel County. Reporters discovered a majority of evictions occurred within a square mile of apartment buildings in Glen Burnie.
Ryan Little, a data reporter with the Baltimore Banner, joins us to talk about the investigation.
Plus, founder of Fight Blight Bmore and co-creator of the Stop Oppressive Seizures Fund Nneka N'namdi joins us to talk about Baltimore's tax sale. For the third year in a row, homeowners will be excluded from the city's tax sale. The Baltimore Banner reports that 2,000 properties were removed. Unlike previous years, though, owner-occupied homes with values of over $250,000 are included.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/22/2023 • 25 minutes, 19 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Rona Kobell
That was a Stoop Story from Rona Kobell about a chance encounter with danger during a reporting trip to the Chesapeake Bay.
Find more information at Stoopstorytelling.com.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/19/2023 • 9 minutes
How to be a good neighbor to Maryland's wild turtles
In the Chesapeake Bay and across the state, a rich array of turtle species call Maryland home.
But turtles are in danger because of the effects of climate change and destruction of their natural environment. A 2022 study from Tel Aviv University found 58% of the world’s turtle species are threatened by extinction.
World Turtle Day was created in 1990 as an annual observance to help people celebrate these beloved animals and protect their vanishing habitats around the world.
Kerry Wixted, program manager with the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, joined us to discuss Maryland's turtles and their habitats. Wixted is also a former Wildlife Education and Outreach Specialist with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Wixted is set to speak during The Natural History Society of Maryland's celebration of World Turtle Day this Sunday, May 21. More info can be found on their website.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/19/2023 • 14 minutes, 4 seconds
Living messages to the future
The late congressman Elijah E. Cummings famously said: “Our children are the living messages we send to a future we will never see.” The Elijah Cummings Youth Program, in its 25th year, is his testament to that. We speak with executive director Kathleen St. Villier, and students Ryen Eley and Benjamin Caplan, about the experience.
Links: Elijah Cummings Youth Program, Justice is Not Just Us podcast.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/18/2023 • 25 minutes, 37 seconds
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski on his budget, adding county council seats
On Monday, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski ruled out a run for the United States Senate and instead backed fellow Democrat and Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks in the race.
Olszewski is in his second term as Baltimore County’s chief executive. Last month, he presented his $4.9 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024. The county council is scheduled to vote on that proposed budget a week from tomorrow.
So, what’s ahead? We ask Olszewski about a raise for county employees, plans to revitalize Essex, and preventing opioid overdose deaths.
Special thanks to gust host, WYPR reporter John Lee.
Links:Olszewski pitches budget with “historic” education funding to the County CouncilOnce the only African American on his shift. Now he’s set to become Baltimore County’s first Black police chief.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/17/2023 • 25 minutes, 37 seconds
Bike to Work! And transportation for people with disabilities
Policy director Jed Weeks and development director Sonya Thomas from Bikemore talk about Bike to Work week (and month!) and discuss how the nonprofit is working to convince commuters to choose two wheels instead of four for their travel. Plus, how they advocate for transportation policy change.
Then Bong Delrosario, director of transportation policy and programs for the Maryland Department of Disabilities talks about transportation challenges facing people with disabilities… and how the state is working to improve their experience.
Links: Bikemore, BikeToWork, Transportation options for people with disabilitiesDo you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/16/2023 • 25 minutes, 14 seconds
Loneliness is on the rise. What can men do to feel connected?
One in five Americans report experiencing mental illness, according to the National Institutes of Health. That's equivalent to approximately 55 million Americans.
But there are significant barriers to accessing mental health treatment, including stigma and cost of care.
Darius Sanders is Senior Clinical Social Worker and Therapist in the Outpatient Psychiatric Mental Health Program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He joined us to talk about loneliness and the challenges men face in seeking mental healthcare.
Then, a group of dapper motorcycle enthusiasts are taking to the streets in support of men’s health. Ethan Pritchard and Tim Bernstein are two of the organizers behind Baltimore's Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride. Every year in cities across the world, local motorcyclists raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and men's mental health.
Baltimore's Distinguished Gentlemen's Ride is May 21, 2023. More info at can be found here.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, contact Maryland’s crisis hotline by calling 2-1-1 and pressing option 1 or texting 898-211.
Calling 988 will connect callers directly to the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline which encompasses all behavioral crisis services, to include all mental health and substance use.
More resources can be found at NAMIMD.org.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/15/2023 • 25 minutes, 39 seconds
'Missing Our Mothers'
Mothers Day is Sunday. For many people that might mean planning a brunch or giving special gifts or cards. There are lots of ways to show appreciation and acknowledge the special person who holds that place in the family. Maybe it is an aunt, or grandmother, or another loving person who fills the role.
Yet for others, the holiday may trigger a sense of loss -- or hurt, or even regret.
Marjorie Nicole, who lost her mother last year, wants to make sure those who feel heavy-hearted on this holiday have a place to come together. We ask her about 'Missing Our Mothers' Sunday lunch.
Links: Missing Our Mothers lunch, K-Love the poet.Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/12/2023 • 25 minutes, 31 seconds
Stories from the Stoop: Wendy Rumrill
Here’s a Stoop Story from Wendry Rumrill about … the fierce love of a mother for her son … and for herself. Find more information at Stoopstorytelling.com .Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472
5/12/2023 • 13 minutes, 8 seconds
Why is maternal mortality in the U.S. climbing? Plus, is a baby bonus coming to Baltimore?
The pandemic worsened America’s maternal mortality crisis, with the burden of death disproportionately felt by communities of color. We speak with Dr. Doee Kitessa, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the University of Maryland Medical Center and an assistant professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Then, the Maryland Child Alliance is collecting signatures to put a 'baby bonus' on the ballot - $1000 to new parents in Baltimore. We speak to the group's founder, Nate Golden. The group will have a table at the 3rd Annual Baltimore Birth Festival on May 21st..Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his sbdawes@wypr.org 410-235-1472