On The Record

We may grow up thinking friendships just happen--because they often do, for kids. NOT, usually, for adults. You have to reach out; if you spot someone you’d like to know better, suggest getting together. University of Maryland psychology professor Marisa Franco says research shows we underestimate how welcome an overture will be. Franco’s book, Platonic, is filled with ideas for making friends and...

As inspiring as the story of the Star-Spangled Banner is-- 25 hours of British bombardment failing to ravage the Stars-n-Stripes!--it’s not the only memorable tale from Fort McHenry. Four decades ago, park ranger Scott Sheads thought much of the fort’s story was not coming alive for visitors. So, with others, he started the Fort McHenry Guard, of rangers and volunteers, to tell of the people behin...

Randi Benesch shares a sweet Stoop story about summer love. And  Tom Jub talks about his camp counselor hijinx. Want more Stoop? Find information about upcoming live events or take a 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 S...

About half of teens will try alcohol or an illegal drug by the time they graduate. A new center in Harford County is engaging at-risk young people in alternatives to substance use. The Clubhouse by Ashley Addiction Treatment is a safe space for adolescents--and their families--to connect, communicate and gain interpersonal skills. We hear how it works from its director, Laura Dahl,  and from Nicol...

The exhibit, " Discovery and Revelation ," at the Smithsonian examines three centuries of Americans’ evolving views on the relationship between faith and science. Peter Manseau,  who directs the museum’s Center for the Understanding of Religion in American History, talks about the artifacts displayed. One, a portrait of Henrietta Lacks--a Baltimore woman whose cancer cells were taken for research-...

MOM’s Organic Market, the Baltimore Museum of Art, the Maryland Institute College of Art. What do they have in common? Their employees voted to unionize. Huffington Post labor reporter Dave Jamieson gives us the national picture of this rise in labor organizing. In the wake of the pandemic, what protections do workers seek? How are employers responding? Then, Starbucks barista Violet Sovine and Ap...

Who is the American health system for? A new book, Health for Everyone, edited by primary-care physician and bioethicist Dr. Zackary Berger --calls for revolutionizing the system by putting patients at its center. His Johns-Hopkins colleague, adolescent-and-child psychiatrist Hal Kronsberg , told of a young Baltimore man who stayed strong for his family when his mother was murdered, without proces...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Louis Hughes about his decades of activism. Want more Stoop ? Take a listen to the podcast or find out about upcoming live events . 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.or...

Baltimore musician Todd Marcus ’ latest album, “In the Valley,'' celebrates his Egyptian heritage. The bass clarinetist and bandleader drew on his visits in the country to craft a unique sound that matches Egypt’s bustle and grandeur.  We ask Marcus why blending American jazz harmonies and Middle Eastern melodies posed a challenge, and hear how audiences in the two countries respond differently to...

Maryland has been invaded. Again. This time the Spotted Lanternfly is the enemy, endangering the nutrient systems of plants. Mike Raupp , Professor Emeritus of Entomology and Extension Specialist at The University of Maryland, talks about what’s being done to keep the insect in check. Plus, The Park School of Baltimore citizen scientists have been hard at work in the arctic! Biology teacher Vicki...

American politics seems more divided than ever. That division can lead to extreme views about political opponents, that they are evil or less than human. Hopkins political scientist Lilliana Mason says these attitudes can be a precursor to violence, like the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Her latest book, co-authored with Louisiana State professor Nathan Kalmoe, is “Radical American Partisanship.” Ho...

Remember the buzz about--and from!-- Brood X cicadas last summer? That  phenomenon prompted On the Record producer Melissa Gerr to explore the powerful feelings associated with awe and wonder, and how they affect us.  She talked with an astrophysicist, a naturalist, a spirituality researcher and also with David B. Yaden , Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine working i...

Even as she was growing up in a posh Baltimore family a century ago, Virginia Hall defied convention. Still, no one--especially after a hunting accident forced amputation of her lower left leg-- could imagine she’d become one of the most intrepid spies of World War II.  Rejected as a junior diplomat by the U.S., Hall got a field job in a fledgling British spy operation. It sent her to France to su...

Here is a Stoop Story from Roy Taff  about his haunting experience aboard the USS Constellation . Want more of the Stoop Storytelling Series? Check out the podcast . Find information about upcoming live events . 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 Se...

Amaree McKenstry-Hall  was in his senior year at the Maryland School for the Deaf in Frederick. Football, Homecoming, and his future weighed on his mind. That’s why filmmaker  Matt Ogens   made Amaree the heart of his coming-of-age documentary, “Audible.” "Audible" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary - Short Subject. You can stream the film on Netflix.  This interview originall...

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 ten...

Since 2012, the Goucher Prison Education Partnership has offered college courses to men and women at two Maryland prisons. Executive Director Eliza Cornejo  describes how Goucher stays in touch even after participants leave prison to help them continue their studies or find work.  And William Freeman , a graduate, now pursuing a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, says signing up for GP...

Some factors in the economy are slowing--but not the job market. “Help wanted” signs are everywhere. Some employers are brainstorming how to hire the talent they need. Penn-Mar Human Services , a nonprofit that offers a range of supports for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, works with businesses that want to analyze whether some part of their workflow would fit a person with...

Even in pre-school,  Jessie Dunleavy’s son Paul struggled to learn. His disabilities forced him to switch schools over and over. He turned to poetry, and eventually, after several mental-health diagnoses, to drugs. After he died of an overdose, his mother found a poem alluding to his addiction as a moral disgrace. Dunleavy said it broke her heart, "I would do anything to change that, because I thi...

Newspapers in the US have been closing at the rate of about two each week since 2005. But journalism may be on the rise for Baltimore. We talk with Teri Henderson , Arts and culture editor for Baltimore Beat , the city’s latest edition to local news coverage. And with editor in chief Lisa Snowden , who describes what she thinks the paper can become: “My vision is news that is accessible for everyb...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Elijah McBride about the difference between just hearing someone … and really listening to them. 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 Ger...

Journalist Baynard Woods grew up in the last quarter of the 20th century, son of white parents raised in the Jim Crow South, descendant of forebears who had enslaved hundreds of Black people in South Carolina. His memoir, "Inheritance: An Autobiography of Whiteness," traces his dawning awareness of the crimes and outrages of his dead ancestors, and his parents’ failure to confront that history and...

More than one hundred thousand Americans await an organ transplant … and most organ donations come from deceased donors. Ieesha Johnson , executive director of community outreach at the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland, works to dispel myths and educate the public about what it means to be an organ donor. And  Danette Ragin , an organ recipient and relative of deceased organ donors, talks abou...

When it’s too hot for the park or the pool, grab some popcorn and turn on a movie! Max Weiss , editor-in-chief of Baltimore Magazine , talks about her favorite new films, from a sci-fi western to the "Top Gun" sequel.  Then, Beyond Video is a volunteer-run video library in Baltimore. Co-owner Eric Hatch shares indie hits and cult classics. Check out Max Weiss' reviews: Nope Top Gun: Maverick Elvis...

Life is throwing a lot at young people these days, hitting some harder than others, undermining their mental health. The Kids Count Data book dives deep into factors that can affect their well-being, and identifies what states, cities and schools need to address. Benjamin Orr, head of the Maryland Center on Economic Policy, talks us through the research. Then, Clarrissa Taylor Jackson , Director o...