On The Record

After a year of staying mostly at home, many of us are closer than ever to our families. For better or worse. We speak to Joe Kane , father of four and chair of the Parent-Community Advisory Board of Baltimore City Schools. 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...

Here’s a Stoop Story from  Maggie Master  about feeling like a teacher, a tech support worker, and the cafeteria manager all rolled into one. Listen to more of Stoop Storytelling Series  here . 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...

It’s not a subtle hint: Sunshine and warmer temps are telling us straight-out that spring is coming!  Jordan Bethea , farm manager of  BLISS Meadows  in Northeast Baltimore, is preparing with the help of a team of goats. He shares gardening tips for beginners on how to choose the right plants, and why it’s important to be cautious when fertilizing. Plus, the popularity o...

Kids stared at screens a lot before, but during the pandemic it’s estimated their screen hours, on average, have doubled:  Logging in to classrooms … hanging out with friends on Zoom ... in addition to video games and TV.  How does increased screen time affect young eyes?  Dr. Megan Collins , a pediatric ophthalmologist at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, talks a...

Reginald F. Lewis--a Baltimorean and a powerhouse in business and philanthropy during the 1980s and ‘90s--had a big wish for his hometown: he longed to support a museum devoted to African American culture. Years after his death the dream materialized as the ‘Reginald F. Lewis Museum of African American History and Culture.’ Terri Freeman is its new executive director. Today we he...

If you’ve traveled east across the Bay Bridge toward Maryland’s Eastern Shore, you might recognize the feeling: shoulders relax, blood pressure drops, a satisfying deep sigh … as Chesapeake waters stretch around you and Kent Island comes into view. Troy Lowman --writer, director and executive producer of the film Love Letters to the Shore --wants people who view his documentary...

The Maryland Senate gave final approval to a package of police reforms yesterday, including a bill to repeal and replace the Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights -- which lays out due process procedures for police accused of misconduct. Maryland Matters reporter  Hannah Gaskill   talks about years of previous attempts by lawmakers to tackle repeal. And  Senator Will Smith...

  The pandemic is distributing its financial effects, like its health damages, chaotically. They’re colliding on people who never before reached out for mental-health support but are now seeking help.  Sherri Bloom  is clinical director of the nonprofit  Pro Bono Counseling Project , which is hearing from more callers and getting referrals from the  211 United Way he...

With another COVID-19 vaccine deployed, the end of the pandemic may be in sight. But millions of people who were infected continue to battle lasting complications. Hopkins epidemiologist  Priya Duggal  tells of a new survey collecting data about COVID symptoms and of genetic research into why some people are vulnerable to long COVID. Check out the  Johns Hopkins Long COVID Study . A...

Each year  Open Society Institute-Baltimore  awards grants to highly motivated community leaders. We hear from two recipients about their work. First,  Ateira Griffin  leads BOND -  Building Our Nation’s Daughters  - which brings single moms and daughters together for activities to build their confidence and their connection. Then,  Wayne Paige   gradu...

The state rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine has been slow, chaotic and frustrating. But even with the glitches … nearly 800-thousand Marylanders have managed to secure a slot and get vaccinated. What does immunity offer … and how maddening is it for those still waiting? We talk with Dr. Neda Frayha, Dr. Zackary Berger, Gregory Terry, Renee Wilson, Sara Torvik and Jackie Oldham. Oldham...

Here’s a Stoop Story from  Dr. Cat Chamberlain  about her experience as a medical director at the Baltimore Convention Center Covid-19 overflow field hospital last year.  You can hear their story and many others at  stoopstorytelling.com , as well as the Stoop podcast.  Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at:...

Eighty days into his tenure as Baltimore City’s mayor, Brandon Scott wrestles with some of the city’s enduring challenges,  and some newer ones. We ask about the police consent decree, his multi-pronged struggle against gun violence, what help he expects from the Biden-Harris administration, and what is on the mind of so many citizens -- the city’s Covid-19 response. Scott c...

Retailers and consumers are navigating a challenge: looking ahead to buying and selling post-pandemic while keeping commerce alive now.  The Baltimore Downtown Partnership is focused on both, with BOOST, which stands for 'Black-Owned and Occupied Storefront Tenancy.' It pairs Black-owned businesses with vacant storefronts and wraparound services like tech and marketing support.  Delali D...

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...

n anthology of Black American history...verses about the life of 18th-century poet Phillis Wheatley...short stories about girlhood in the South. These are some of the new must-read picks  Carla Du Pree  of  CityLit Project  offers us. She also previews next month’s virtual  festival . And local history teacher  Dante Brizill  shares the unsung story of Afri...

What goes into the decision to, literally, put someone on a pedestal? A new podcast called ‘Who Deserves a Monument’ follows a class from City Neighbors High School in their exercise to define what makes someone monument-worthy and who that person should be for Baltimore City. Podcast creator Sarah Lohnes , tells about the colorful and accomplished Marylanders you probably haven’...

Here's a Stoop Story from Pete R. about the power of the mind … under the power of suggestion. You can hear his story and others at  stoopstorytelling dot com  and 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 P...

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic a year ago, Asian Americans have been the target of more racial profiling and xenophobia. What are the effects of this mistreatment? We learn from UMBC Professor Charissa Cheah  about the toll it’s taken on the mental health of Chinese American families. And John C. Yang , president of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice/Asian American Justi...

African Americans make up one-third of Maryland’s population but only 15 percent of Covid-19 vaccine recipients. Is medical mistrust behind low vaccination rates of minority residents, or is it the struggle of getting an appointment, and getting to it? We ask  Dr. Jinlene Chan  of the Maryland Department of Health. Read the letters between  county leaders  and  Actin...

Over the past decade, Maryland hospitals filed more than 140,000 lawsuits against patients, to recover unpaid bills. The median amount owed was just $944. Left unpaid, this debt can lead to a lien on a person’s home or car, or even garnished wages.  Marceline White , of the  Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition , describes the crushing burden of an unpaid hospital bill.  This in...

In his book "The Black Butterfly," former community-health professor  Lawrence Brown  cites a century of policies and budgets he says sapped resources from Baltimore’s African American neighborhoods, forcibly uprooted Black families and triggered generations of trauma. He calls it apartheid, and contends it was planned and deliberately maintained. Brown says undoing it will take de...

Should Maryland establish a public bank? State Delegate Stephanie Smith  of Baltimore City is proposing a task force to explore the idea. She’s driven by how the pandemic brought economic disparities to the surface. How would a public bank work? Could one help close the wealth gap? Read the 2019 Abell Foundation report about municipal banking  here . Do you have a question or comme...

Here’s a Stoop Story from  Shaun Adamec  about the highs and lows of having a rich friend. Find more about the Stoop Storytelling Series - including upcoming live events and the Stoop podcast -  here . 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-...

Baltimore City plans to begin bringing students and staff back to classrooms next month. Is it safe?  Durryle Brooks , a commissioner on the Baltimore City School Board, explains why he thinks the risks are too great, particularly for low-income families and students of color. Read his Baltimore Sun op-ed  here . Plus, what do some students think about returning to the classroom? With ot...