On The Record

Fourteen years after Marin Alsop took the podium of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra--the first woman to lead any major U.S. orchestra--she’ll conduct her last concert as music director a week from Saturday. Juneteenth honors the day in 1865 enslaved Blacks in Texas learned they were free--and the concert will start with music commissioned from Morgan State professor James Lee III and hip-ho...

A year of online and hybrid learning left many students behind. Summer is the chance to make up for lost time. But how? Carroll County music teacher Rachel McCusker , who serves on the state board of education, describes what it was like on the ground this year. And Dr. Afra Hersi , Professor of literacy education at Loyola University Maryland and incoming dean of the School of Education, says a h...

As mass vaccination winds down, on-the-ground efforts to get shots in arms continue. We speak with Dr. Michelle LaRue of CASA , a nonprofit that works to expand opportunities for Latino and immigrant people. She describes barriers that discouraged Latinos from getting vaccinated, and the success of pop-up clinics across the state. Then, Rev. Dr. Terris King, pastor of Liberty Grace Church of God i...

For months now, people have been asking: when will it end? When can I see my colleagues, family and friends? When can I go on vacation? Now those activities are in sight--yet., many of us feel hesitant. Why? Clinical psychologist  Dr. Michelle Pearce , a University of Maryland-Baltimore professor, tells how behaviors learned during the pandemic become survival skills. They don’t just fl...

To house workers during World War I, Bethlehem Steel purchased a thousand acres of land and embarked on a plan to develop Dundalk. Amy Menzer , head of the community development corporation Dundalk Renaissance, says the city-garden approach offered green space and functionality. And Meg Fairfax Fielding, past president of the Baltimore Architecture Foundation, describes the unique style of Edward...

Here’s a Stoop Story from landscape designer Alice Sturm. It’s a story that pokes fun at death, because sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying. The next live Stoop event is tomorrow! at 6 pm. The theme is “Re-emergence: An evening of stories, music, and cicadas!” Ticket information here . Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Cont...

Forty years ago, contracting HIV was something close to a death sentence. Much has happened since then, including the discovery and testing of drugs that allow people with HIV to live long lives and engage in fulfilling relationships.  Dr. Sebastian Ruhs  has seen the trajectory of HIV treatment almost since the beginning. Now, he’s the Chief Medical officer for Chase Brexton Healt...

As the coronavirus pandemic begins to recede  … millions of disposable masks and gloves that kept people safe are beginning to surface as trash. And are not so safe for wildlife. Two Dutch researchers -- biologists Liselotte Rambonnet  and Auke-Florian Hiemstra -- tell us how wildlife and domestic animals are getting entangled in, and ingesting the refuse -- and it’s happeni...

The tide of gunshot, knife, and assault victims to University of Maryland Shock Trauma barely ebbs, not even during the pandemic. More than a third opt for the Violence Intervention Program . Social worker David Ross meets them at bedside and offers support, and program manager Erin Walton tells why patients may see a magic moment to find a new path. Then we speak with DeCarlo Cornish , who surviv...

The pandemic made outreach to homeless veterans difficult--but that didn’t stop advocates in Baltimore. We speak with Mary Slicher , who directs Project PLASE , a shelter with paths to permanent housing, and Kim Callari of Baltimore Station , a residential substance-abuse treatment program for veterans. Then US Air Force veteran Helen Daniel talks about helping families access resources. And...

The arts provide a way to make tangible ... feelings and thoughts that otherwise seem too abstract, or even too frightening to acknowledge. Dr. Misty Borst, a psychiatrist and choreographer, felt an urge to wrestle with the trauma of  2020. In the dance video ‘Dissonance,’ she uses confession-like thoughts and feelings from pandemic health care workers as the soundtrack … f...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Lieutenant Sylvia Jordan about what the US Navy taught her about damage control. You can hear her story and others at Stoopstorytelling.com or on 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 Pro...

We hear how Preservation Maryland’s is restoring a tiny log cabin in a historic African-American neighborhood in Hagerstown. Plus, a local relic hunter tells us about the treasure found in century-old trash. 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...

In his new book, “We Own This City,” Baltimore Sun crime reporter  Justin Fenton  unwinds a twisted tale of dirty cops, oblivious leaders, and a community betrayed by those sworn to protect it. Fenton unearths the rotten roots of the Gun Trace Task Force, an elite plainclothes police unit that won praise for its arrest rate, all while skimming from drug busts and illegally se...

The price of insulin is steep, but people who need it risk their health if they skip a dose. The Open Insulin Foundation aims to break the hold pharmaceutical companies exert on the cost. The group is working with local labs to develop cheaper versions of insulin. We speak with co-founder Anthony Di Franco and Dr. Lisa Scheifele of the Baltimore Underground Science Space . Scheifele describes how...

For more than a year, cats and dogs have enjoyed morning playtime, midday cuddles, and lots of togetherness. Now, offices are reopening. How can pet owners prepare their companions for this transition? Maria Montgomery,  lead trainer and behavior consultant at the  Maryland SPCA , has tips. She says dogs need a mix of physical and mental exercise to prevent boredom. Check out  upcom...

Here is a Stoop Story from Corrine Parks about working with birds, snakes, and other forest creatures. 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 sbd...

Black women’s risk of dying from infections, high blood pressure, blood clots and other treatable conditions during and after pregnancy is more than twice the risk of white women. Dr. Latey Bradford of the University of Maryland’s Family Medicine Clinic says pregnant Black women also confront more health dangers that don’t kill them, but can leave lasting damage. Education and a...

We celebrate Asian Pacific American heritage month by looking at two ways Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are sharing their stories through art … to stand up to anti-Asian attitudes. Cori Dioquino   from the Asian Pasifika Arts Collective tells us about its art contest that focuses on identity pride. And City Lit Project is hosting a series called  The Invisible Invincible A...

The math of the food chain is simple: if no native plants, then no native bugs ... nor birds, nor pollinators ... then no food. It may sound extreme but truth be told, it’s where we’re headed. Professor Doug Tallamy of the University of Delaware is adamant that it’s not too late to restore the ecosystem. And he says homeowners are poised to make a huge impact as stewards of the l...

Just over a year ago, the need to ‘disinfect’ and ‘sanitize’ became a priority for every American. Mountains of Clorox wipes and gallons of hand sanitizer later, what long-term effects could increased use of antibacterials have on our health? Or for our water? Amy Sapkota , professor of Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland, studies links between real-w...

When was the last time you got to know someone who lives a life entirely different from your own? How did that feel? What did you learn? The documentary ‘Faith’s World’ opens a window into the life of a teen who defies all sorts of stereotypes about people with disabilities. Faith Guilbault, its director and star, has cerebral palsy. We also talk with her filmmaking mentor in a p...

Here is a Stoop Story from Kate Hooks about the remarkable gift of empathy … especially when it comes from high school kids. You can hear her story and others at stoopstorytelling dot 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, M...

Adopting an anti-racist approach requires more than reading books and marching for justice. That’s why Govans Presbyterian church has welcomed singer and activist Lea Gilmore as its first  ‘Minister for Racial Justice and Multicultural Engagement.’ She and Pastor Tom Harris talk about ways the church’s white congregation is working to engage with the surrounding d...

More than five million Marylanders have received a Covid vaccine dose. Now the state is moving its focus from mass vaccination sites to mobile outreach. Health Secretary Dennis Schrader describes the efforts. And as younger teens become eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, we ask how the state will expand access. Then, Amy Liebman of the Migrant Clinicians Network talks about the increased Covid risks...