On The Record

Shannon Sneed is a former Baltimore City Councilwoman running in the Democratic primary for City Council president. What did she learn from representing East Baltimore? What are her priorities if elected? What would she do to limit the economic impact of shutting the port? Find more WYPR coverage of the 2024 Primary Election .  Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitc...

While the wreckage of the Key Bridge blocks commercial travel, the crews of the Dali and other ships in the Port of Baltimore remain aboard their vessels.  Two local organizations have been checking on the mariners. We speak with Andrew Middleton, who directs the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s Apostleship of the Sea , and Rev. Joshua Messick, an Episcopal priest and executive director of the Baltimore...

The disruption at the port will likely boost inflation, but Tom Perez , senior adviser to President Biden and former candidate in the 2022 Democratic primary for Maryland governor, said the focus now is finding the bodies of those who died. Find more WYPR coverage of the Francis Scott key Bridge collapse. Photo caption: White House advisor Tom Perez speaks at a press conference on the collapse of...

In Maryland, a child is reported abused or neglected every 10 minutes. We hear from program and research director Matila Jones to learn how The Family Tree works discreetly with families to step in and prevent abuse. Then Yuvi Rattigan , director of clinical services at Center for Hope, tells how they help families move on from trauma.  Links: The Family Tree , Center for Hope , Child Abuse Preven...

With all the grim news battering Baltimore this week, let's take a few minutes to celebrate the good fortune that befell five local nonprofits two weeks ago—major gifts that could be transformative. Wide Angle Youth Media , Baltimore Tree Trust , Govans Economic Development Corporation , St. Francis Neighborhood Center , and Marian House each received $2 million dollars from billionaire philanthro...

Here's a Stoop Story from Joy Kika about her path to business school. What more Stoop? Check out the podcast . The next live Stoop show is April 6th. The theme is " Wit and Wisdom: Stories about Life Lessons and Laughter ."   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 4...

The collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge would be a disaster in any case, but the deaths of six Latino construction workers who were on the bridge makes it a heart-rending tragedy. We hear from Clara Longo de Freitas, a neighborhood reporter The Baltimore Banner, about a vigil held in their memories and about support coming from the Latino community. Links: More FSK Bridge reporting Support fo...

We go On the Record with Scott Cowan , president of the International Longshoreman’s Association Local 333, to ask what shutting down the Port of Baltimore means for workers, and with WYPR reporter Scott Maucione to ask about the timeline for reopening.  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 sh...

A new collection of photographs and essays documents the central Appalachian Mountains. Amid the misty ridges and valleys of Appalachia live some of Maryland’s rarest animal and plant life. The book is The Central Appalachians: Mountains of the Chesapeake . Mark Hendricks' photos capture hiding salamanders, rare plant life and the shifting seasons across the ancient Appalachian Mountain ranges. We...

Spring is here. Pack your hiking boots, swimwear and hammock and consider heading to one of Maryland’s many State Parks, from the oceanside Assateague State Park to Herrington Manor in the Appalachian range. There is new leadership at the Maryland Park Service. Angela Crenshaw , a veteran park ranger, was named director of the Maryland Park Service in November after serving as acting superintenden...

Almost four hundred years ago European settlers landed in what is now St. Mary’s County and established the new state of Maryland. But they weren’t the first to inhabit the fertile ground along the Chesapeake Bay.  Events at Maryland Hall in Annapolis highlight the Indigenous people that inhabited the land long before English Catholic settlers arrived. We hear from program director Bilgesu Sisman...

Here's a Stoop Story from Michael Ziccardi about - quite literally - taking the fall and still landing on your feet.  There are Two LIVE stoop events coming up: on April 6, stories about life lessons and laughter and on April 11, tales of detours and unexpected adventures. More information here . Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Sen...

The last day to file your federal and state taxes without an extension is April 15. Beyond tax season, managing your finances can be intimidating. Where to begin? And, how can you tell the difference between helpful information and untrustworthy advice? We ask Sara Johnson , Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of the CASH Campaign of Maryland. The CASH Campaign’s 17th annual Money Power Day off...

Each year, Maryland municipalities seek to recoup unpaid taxes from property owners through a tax sale. If overdue property taxes are not paid, liens are issued by the city and sold to investors, who can make a lot of money collecting the debt, fees, and interest from the property owner. Eventually, property owners risk losing their homes to foreclosure if they cannot pay the debts. Housing advoca...

Each year in Maryland, hundreds of young teens accused of breaking the law are charged as adults. Judges could send their cases to juvenile court, but one third of the time they don’t. WYPR’s Rachel Baye has investigated how judges decide … and the dire results for many kids. Read the investigation by WYPR and APM Reports: Judges use ‘arbitrary,’ ‘horrendous’ reasons to keep teens in adult court D...

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. (Original airdate: January 24, 2024) D...

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 ." (Original airdate: January 24, 2024) 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...

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 is 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 pr...

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 Minoriti...

Tracy Akinade shares a Stoop Story about standing up for herself and her coworkers. The next Stoop Storytelling event today, March 15, 2024. “ See Beyond: Stories about dismantling the disability narrative ” is set to kickoff at 7pm at the Maryland School of the Blind in northeast Baltimore. Join them for stories bucking the stereotypes about life with a disability. Do you have a question or comme...

Photography can capture the perspective of the person behind the lens. An exhibit at the Walters Art Museum , Through Our Eyes , showcases the work of teenage photographers new to the craft. Their work reveals a new perspective of Baltimore, and of a refreshing approach to creative pursuits. Baltimore-native SHAN Wallace is an artist, archivist, and photographer who instructed the teenagers involv...

Last month, scientists created a new, more detailed map of that low background rumble of radiation in our universe. The U.S. National Science Foundation's Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor —or CLASS—a collaboration led by Johns Hopkins University astrophysicists, created the maps.  Joseph Eimer is a senior scientist on the CLASS project and the lead author of the study published in The Astrop...

Maryland’s legislature will wrap up its work this year in three-and-a-half weeks. What will it have done, and how will it affect residents of the Free State? The most fundamental task of any legislative session--even if it doesn’t claim the most headlines--is to pass a budget that’s balanced: which means expected tax revenues high enough to pay for what the state plans to spend. There’s a tug-of-w...

How can poetry be a path to healing after abuse?  Vanita Leatherwood is director of community engagement at HopeWorks of Howard County , a nonprofit that serves victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. In addition to shelter, legal services, and therapy, HopeWorks of Howard County also provides workshops focused on self-care and art. We hear about the power of self-expression. Do you have...

Extreme Risk Protection Orders temporarily remove firearms from someone at risk of harming themselves or others. How can they be a tool to prevent domestic violence? How are 'red flag' laws working in Maryland?  Lisa Geller and S pencer Cantrell are senior advisors at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions . They will speak at a virtual seminar about Extreme Risk Protection Orders and...