On The Record

People aren’t working as much or buying as many things--which hurts not only their individual economic lives, but the state’s revenues also. The state board with the job of balancing the budget has started reducing spending. We speak with the only member of the board who voted ‘’no”-- State Treasurer Nancy Kopp -- about why she thinks it’s worth taking another month before locking in budget cuts....

The Supreme Court recently blocked President Trump’s attempt to end DACA--a program that protects some immigrants who arrived in the US as children from deportation. Maria Perales Sanchez, a plaintiff in the case, shares her reaction. Sanchez is also Communications Coordinator for Policy & Campaigns for Centro de los Derechos del Migrante, a non-profit organization that advocates for migrant worke...

Almost everyone can agree that cleaner air and water is good for the planet. But what if you’re being left out of the discussions that determine priorities, processes and goals? Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper, has been working to grow the participation of Black and Brown communities in the environmental groups that serve them. He describes making some headway, but says he knows there’s a long w...

Pregnancy during the coronavirus pandemic is uniquely stressful. Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Maryland, describes precautions expectant mothers should take, and how the shift to tele-health is working. And new mom Shanteé Felix talks about giving birth just as Maryland shut down and how the virus has shifted her expectations. Do you have a question or com...

Public health information about the coronavirus can evolve quickly. Two programs in Baltimore city ensure underserved and high-risk populations get their questions answered, and get access to resources when they most need them. We hear from Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos, who co-founded Medicine for the Greater Good, a non-profit that promotes health and wellness beyond hospital walls. And Reverend Willi...

Here's a story from Madison Hall, a recent senior at Bard High School Early College, about what it’s like to graduate during a pandemic. The story was produced by Radio Rookies, WYNC radio's youth media program, and is part of a collaboration between Radio Rookies and Y-R Media called 18-to-29 Now: Young America Speaks Up. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Co...

Zora Neale Hurston was more than a novelist and bright voice of the Harlem Renaissance--she was also an anthropologist and folklorist. She made a name for herself in New York and the Caribbean--and also spent formative years in Baltimore. David Taylor says Hurston was creative and brave; he wrote about her in Soul of a People, his chronicle of the Federal Writers’ Project during the Depression. Th...

Six out of ten people who have died from Covid-19 in Maryland lived or worked in a nursing home, assisted-living facility or group home. Scott Dance, The Baltimore Sun’s reporter on the story, reviews how the state has tried to control the pandemic and the implications going forward. Then, how are some nursing homes using the information in patients’ medical charts to gain an edge on the virus? Sc...

The pandemic and the safety restrictions to control it have had a big impact on people with disabilities and the organizations that serve them. One of the looming risks is that the deep hit state revenues are taking will translate into budget cuts in disabilities support. This morning we hear from several people in the system about how it works and what’s at risk. First: Laura Howell is executive...

A public health crisis can create a sea of need--so deep and vast it can be difficult to know where to start. A pandemic is an emergency--no time or resources to waste. Dr. Susan Mani, Chief Population Health Officer of LifeBridge Health, tells us about the statewide ‘Task Force on Vulnerable Populations’ she leads. Its aim is to identify those who are at high risk for Covid-19 to pinpoint where t...

It’s said history is written by the victors. What if the moment arises to correct the narrative? Today we address misperceptions passed down through the years about a monumental period in American history. National Park Ranger Anokwale Anansesemfo unravels the story of Juneteenth, the celebration observed by African Americans to commemorate the proclamation of the end of slavery. The buildings and...

Here's a Stoop Story from Shindana Cooper about hauntings of a Middle Passage cruise. You can hear her story and others at stoopstorytelling dot 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 Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/h...

What does defunding the police mean? This morning, three Baltimore perspectives on this call to action. Michaela Brown, co-founder of Organizing Black, tells us what her group is demanding, including reallocating half of Baltimore’s police department budget to social services. Find out about events with Organizing Black here. Then City Councilman Ryan Dorsey explains why he voted against cutting 5...

Vesla Weaver has been listening in on long distance conversations between people in heavily policed neighborhoods in six cities. Weaver, associate professor of political science and sociology at Johns Hopkins, talks about the damage to young people and communities from over policing, and why protest movements in the past have seldom made significant police reforms. Learn more about the Portals Pol...

It’s challenging enough to rally public interest around making costly improvements to public transportation … let alone during a pandemic and in the middle of civil unrest. But the ‘Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan’ timeline marches on, with a deadline hovering in the fall. Holly Arnold, Deputy Administrator and Maryland Transit Administration’s Chief Planning, Programming and Engineering Of...

It’s been months since large gatherings were banned throughout Maryland. The shutdown closed most hotels and all but obliterated tourism. Some restrictions have been eased, but it will take consumer trust to start the cogs moving again. We speak with Al Hutchinson, president and CEO of Visit Baltimore, to learn how local destinations have been impacted. Then Bob Haislip, General Manager at Royal S...

As the Pratt Library moves into phase two of its Road to Reopening, what will it look like? Heidi Daniel, CEO of the Enoch Pratt Free Library system, talks about serving patrons during the pandemic. When doors closed in March, the library focused on expanding its collection of digital resources. On Monday, the Pratt will begin offering books by mail, contact-free pick up, and drive-in wi-fi at eig...

Here is a Stoop Story from Dr. Modupe McCraken about putting yourself first. Check out the Stoop Storytelling Series 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 Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers mgerr@wypr.org 410-235-1157 Pro...

Online classes only? A blend of online and on campus? No roommates in the dorms? Maryland colleges are balancing many options, as they decide whether they can afford to re-open this fall--or afford NOT to. The dean of Morgan State University's School of Public Health and Policy, Dr. Kim Dobson Sydnor, explains why the university thinks it is safe to reopen and how it plans to do so. Then we ask Sc...

Efforts to slow transmission of the coronavirus have affected nearly every walk of life. Two chaplains tell us how they’ve creatively adapted their approaches to offer comfort and care to patients and staff during this time of social distancing. Rabbi Jeffrey Orkin is director of pastoral care at Levindale long-term care facility. And Rev. Denise White is staff chaplain at Johns Hopkins Bayview Me...

Baltimore Racial Justice Action believes there is no easy way to untangle systemic racism’s influence on our thoughts and choices. We speak with Anthony Newman and Harriet Smith, members of the group's advisory board, about how they lead tough conversations about race and racism. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising P...

As protests of racial bias by police continue to grip the country, what are the efforts at the state and local levels pushing for change? Has this moment shifted the dynamics of the debate over holding police accountable? Will C. Smith, who chairs the state Senate’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, says incidents of abuse and a lack of transparency are stressing the fraught relations between people...

The restraint of protestors around Baltimore this week has been striking. The city has seen little of the violence, smashed windows or blazing buildings that have been seen in many cities demonstrating against biased policing. It’s been a relief to officials and businesses in Baltimore--but what does it mean for those in the streets? We’ll ask journalist Brandon Soderberg and Erricka Bridgeford, c...

Welcome back to On the Record. I’m SK. Here’s a Stoop Story from Amy Cohen … about what it’s like being a special education teacher during a pandemic. You can hear her 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 Sen...

As water bottles break down and fleece jackets shed fibers in the washing machine, small pieces of plastic enter the ecosystem. What threat does this pollutant pose to the environment? Bay Journal reporter Whitney Pipkin is the author of a recent Abell Foundation report on microplastics. She describes how this debris impacts marine life and steps can we take to reduce plastic pollution. Do you hav...