On The Record

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...

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 id...

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...

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:...

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.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 410-23...

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 , So...

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. R...

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 hig...

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 a...

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/her...

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 surre...

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 fi...

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 & Uni...

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 mharvi...

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. B...

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 pod...

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...

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...

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...

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 Hopki...

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 affirm...

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 m...

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...

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 Cli...

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 ho...