On The Record

The American Advertising Federation of Baltimore began in 1920 as a professional organization for women in the field. We speak with AAFB's Ashlene Larson about the past and present of advertising. Learn more about the ADDY awards 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@...

Zero waste and zero toxic emissions--hard to imagine what that means for any city. But there is a plan for Baltimore that proposes just that. We hear from consultant Gary Liss about how other cities are modeling what could work in Baltimore. Plus Terriq Thompson and Meleny Thomas of the non-profit United Workers, talk about ‘Baltimore’s Fair Development Plan for Zero Waste.’ It builds on momentum...

A diverse mix of trees, shrubs, and flowers provides a buffet of food for insects and birds, while absorbing the greenhouse gases that warm our planet. Erin Reed Miller of the Patterson Park Audubon Center describes how native plants support local birds by providing shelter and food for the thousands of caterpillars on which hatchlings feast. Check out the calendar of upcoming events. Charles Murp...

Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makary says American health care is broken. He heaped his latest book with tales of doctors talking patients into surgeries they don’t need and hospitals suing patients into bankruptcy over bills that were bloated to begin with. Makary says people without good insurance often are hit with huge bills they can’t pay. But patients are starting to get better deals, he conte...

What if, instead of seeing Baltimore as a collection of troubles, traumas, assets, resources and deficits … we looked at her as the heroine of a novel? Or maybe its hero? What would the story be? That’s the conceit of a gathering tomorrow evening at the Enoch Pratt Free Library. The conversation will be led by D. Watkins of East Baltimore, a writer and lecturer at the University of Baltimore and f...

Here is a Stoop Story from Dr. Brian Volck about learning to listen. You can listen to more Stoop Stories here. The next Stoop event is March 4th at the Johns Hopkins Carey School of Business. The theme is, "Movers and Shakers: Stories about taking risks, breaking barriers, fighting oppression, and disrupting the status quo". Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch?...

The details we know of the voyage made by the sailing merchant ship Margaret in 1718 only hint at what the enslaved Africans on board must have felt. When the Margaret reached Annapolis, she was met by James Carroll, cousin of the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence and of America’s first Roman Catholic bishop. Carroll’s ledger lists the sale of most of the Africans. Morgan Sta...

When boxes and papers and family heirlooms take over, it can be hard to find a path forward. For nearly two decades, social worker Elaine Birchall has been helping clients with compulsive hoarding disorder recognize the consequences of hoarding and create a plan to reclaim their space. Her book, co-authored with Suzanne Cronkwright, is “Conquer the Clutter”. Do you have a question or comment about...

College poll measures attitudes about sports betting and taxes, fears about coronavirus, and how well Gov. Hogan and President Trump are doing their jobs. Even though a big majority in the state told pollsters they’ve read nothing about the Kirwan Commission and its proposals for improving the state’s schools -- the poll shows strong support for some of what Kirwan calls for, like higher teacher p...

You can make the case that Baltimore won’t solve any of its challenges--crime, schools, jobs--unless it gets its public transportation system right. The nonprofit Bikemore has invited candidates for mayor to a transit-focused forum, and they plan to ask tough questions. We talk with Liz Cornish, Bikemore’s director and Taffy Gwitira, a dedicated public transportation advocate. Do you have a questi...

What’s the best way to combat the staggering number of murders in Baltimore? One approach supported by Police Commissioner Harrison is a test of aerial surveillance. What could it accomplish? What are its limitations? What privacy concerns does it raise? We speak with Baltimore Beat news editor Brandon Soderberg, who has reported on the technology ...and University of Baltimore law professor Colin...

Sixteen-millimeter movies are practically relics -- especially compared to the immediacy of Youtube or smartphone videos. But the look and sound of real celluloid stirs an unmistakable nostalgia. The Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Maryland Historical Society will give audiences entry to that nostalgic feeling later this month with “Maryland On Film” ... featuring scenes of Baltimore from the 192...

Here is a Stoop Story from Shawna René, about how even little things can make a big impact. Rene is the founder of the ‘Say It Out Loud’ Urban Storytelling Collective in Washington, DC. You can hear her 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: Senior Supervising P...

The proposal for Maryland to become the first state to tax big internet platforms that track how you browse on the internet and target ads at you highlights how much money is made in digital ads. Computer Science Professor Avi Rubin says the more targeted ads, the more money to be made. Opponents contend the tax would hit not just Google and Facebook, but also hurt Maryland businesses. Economist P...

The story of voting rights in the United States charts cycles of restriction and expansion. In her new book, “Uncounted: The Crisis of Voter Suppression in America,” UB Law associate professor Gilda Daniels traces a path from Reconstruction to Jim Crow to the Voting Rights Act to today, calling attention to barriers that block minority and marginalized groups from the ballot box. She will be speak...

Is it physician-assisted suicide--or medical aid in dying? The idea of someone with a terminal diagnosis enlisting the help of a doctor to end their life comforts some, outrages others. Dr. Janet Conway, an orthopedic surgeon, contends the bill before the General Assembly is hostile to what caring doctors should do. You can read her Baltimore Sun op-ed here. Dr. Conway is a member of Maryland Agai...

How could five boys, walking free in Philadelphia in the summer of 1825, be kidnapped, forced into the hold of a boat, chained and beaten, brought to the Eastern Shore, and then transported south? Historian Richard Bell chronicles how the boys were enslaved through the Reverse Underground Railroad. Most who were snatched never saw their families again. But something surprising happened in this cas...

That was Stoop Story from Betsy Hague about how her husband’s Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis changed their relationship. You can hear her 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: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903...

During segregation, African-Americans flocked to Carr’s Beach and Sparrow’s Beach, bayside resorts where families could freely swim, enjoy concerts, and share a meal. Environmental advocate Vincent Leggett describes the cultural and culinary history of these summertime hotspots, known for performances by legendary motown and R&B entertainers. You can learn more about the culinary history of Carr’s...

Environmentalists contend that Gov. Hogan’s proposals for cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the next decade won’t go far enough to deter climate change. They say that plan is unrealistic in relying on fossil fuels and is counting on hundreds of thousands of Maryland drivers to switch to electric vehicles. Mike Tidwell heads the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, and claims there is no substance...

When Spiro Agnew, faced with prosecution for bribes dating back to his days as Baltimore County Executive, resigned the vice presidency in 1973 -- it seemed the glaring end of his political influence. But the book, "Republican Populist: Spiro Agnew and the Origins of Donald Trump’s America," contends Agnew did create a political legacy, and we see it today in Donald Trump’s America. Authors Zach M...

As bacteria evolve to become more resistant to antibiotics, dangerous infections are taking their toll on human lives. We hear from John Haverty who, after knee replacement surgery generated an unrelenting infection … found himself facing amputation of his leg. Enter a new treatment called 'phage therapy' and Greg Merril, CEO and co-founder of Adaptive Phage Therapeutics in Gaithersburg. He explai...

One hundred sixty years ago this week, the abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the army arsenal at Harpers Ferry hoping to arm slaves who would rise in rebellion. We ask historian Martha Jones what drove Brown, and how history views him. Then--author Ed Maliskas tells how the farm in Washington County was bought by the Black Elks fraternal organization and later drew crowds of young people for c...

Comics allow us to imagine possessing superpowers and life on other planets. What if you borrow that medium … to tell about powerful experiences and life in other cultures? That’s what artist and journalist Malaka Gharib does in her graphic novel: 'I Was Their American Dream' - about growing up in a Filipino-Egyptian household. Nguyen Khoi Nguyen created the indie comic series 'The Gulf.' It chron...

Here's a Stoop Story from Josh Kohn, about his comic superhero, Shalom Man. You can hear his 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: Senior Supervising Producer, Maureen Harvie she/her/hers mharvie@wypr.org 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers...