On The Record

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 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, M...

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 ide...

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 Ca...

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 t...

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 abo...

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...

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 O...

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 Sup...

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 a...

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...

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-sc...

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...

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,...

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...

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/h...

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...

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 commen...

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 an...

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 fac...

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 m...

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 s...

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...

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 great...

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...

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 Harbor Safe Streets staffer charged, Belair-Edison...