On The Record

To help us rethink our obsession with throw-away, one-use, disposable products, the Jewish Museum of Maryland is taking a deep look into the history of reuse. Museum director Marvin Pinkert tells us about the overlooked army of scrap collectors featured in the new exhibit: ‘Scrap Yard: Innovators of Recycling.’ And curator Zachary Paul Levine explains that the history of scrap metal families actua...

You’re in the privacy of your home ... talking with your children or discussing family matters with your spouse … is there someone -- or something -- listening? Voice-assisted technology, or conversational artificial intelligence -- such as smart speakers -- has made it easier for millions of people to perform daily activities and access information. But are there dangers in that scenario? We ask...

The creativity and talent of Leonardo da Vinci is still staggering five centuries after his death. Da Vinci scholar Jonathan Pevsner describes the Renaissance man’s insatiable drive to learn about the human body, while juggling many other projects. Read Pevsner's Scientific American article on da Vinci. Then, Francesco Legaluppi of the Italian Cultural Center of Maryland tells us about da Vinci’s...

Zion Church of the City of Baltimore was founded in 1755 by German immigrants. It still holds services in German, and even offers German language classes. Like many venerable religious institutions, Zion is trying to figure out how to remain relevant as it honors the past. We hear the thoughts of several congregants, as well as clergy, … about Zion’s future. Plus, we go behind the scenes to hear h...

Our thoughts are on the many ways Congressman Elijah Cummings fought for residents of Baltimore. Here is a Stoop Story he told in 2010 about the integration of Riverside Park Pool in South Baltimore. You can hear more stories, and the Stoop podcast 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 Produce...

For nearly fifty years, John Clark Mayden has viewed life through a distinctive lens. His black-and-white photographs capture ordinary moments--passengers riding the bus, weary workers pausing for a break-and spark our curiosity. When was this photo taken? Where are these people now? Mayden tells us how he got his start, and how his style changed over time. Do you have a question or comment about...

Like everyone in Maryland we’re thinking of the loss of Democratic Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, who died early this morning. We extend condolences to his wife, Dr. Maya Rockymore, chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, and the rest of his family. 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/he...

Wait! Don't squash that spider crawling inside your kitchen sink! Studying the creepy crawlers can lead to important findings about our environment. Two entomologists weigh in: Prof James Young, from the Natural History Society of Maryland, discusses the value of insect collections and Fred Paraskevoudakis praises their worth as ecological harbingers. Plus, filmmaker Allison Otto talks about her d...

Two or three million people in the U.S. are living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder--more, if you add in the half-million children and teenagers coping with OCD. Their brains are sending danger warnings about some recurring thoughts, and they try to calm their anxiety by repeating some procedure or ritual. We’ll hear from two therapists: Hannah Breckenridge has been dealing with OCD herself sinc...

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 Maryland, where Brown and his men planned their raid, was bought by the Black Elks fraternal or...

Imagine being a youngster in the fight of your life against cancer--or the parent of such a child--and learning the medicine your doctor says would help … is not available. This happens a lot. Holly Kamm Wahl’s teen-aged son David is being treated for leukemia. She describes how they’ve had to cope with inadequate doses of certain drugs, including an essential pain reliever. Pediatric oncologist D...

Here is a Stoop Story from Shawna Renee about her early start as a restaurateur. The new LIVE stoop storytelling season begins week after next--Thursday Oct. 24, 7 p.m. at the Senator theater. The theme this month is ‘Twilight Zone: Stories about everything from the super-natural to the super-weird.’ Click here for more information. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to...

The late P.M. Forni, the Italian literature scholar who put civility on the map in Maryland, still inspires his fans. Dan Buccino, a psychotherapist who succeeded Forni as head of the Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins, says he learned from Forni that humans have always struggled to find a civil way to deal with each other. The Italian Cultural Center of Maryland will host its first annual dinne...

Where can those on the frontlines of healthcare turn for emotional support? Bonnie DiPietro interim president and CEO of The Maryland Patient Safety Center, tells us about an effort called ‘Caring for the Caregiver: Implementing RISE: Resilience In Stressful Events.’ And we meet Mindy Ralls, an intensive care nurse at the University of Maryland Medical Center. She’s trained as a first responder in...

As time passes and towns grow or shrink, first-hand knowledge about important places fades away. A virtual trail of African-American heritage in Anne Arundel County aims to halt that loss and preserve historical sites from the past four centuries. Jane Cox, of the county’s Office of Planning and Zoning, tells us about putting the Four Rivers Heritage Trail together. And Lyndra Marshall recounts ho...

Is it safe for adults to grow old at home? Nurse practitioner Sarah Szanton believes it is, so she designed CAPABLE: ‘Community Aging in Place - Advancing Better Living for Elders.’ The in-home program offers preventive modifications instead of waiting until AFTER an accident happens. We also meet team member and occupational therapist Allyson Evelyn-Gustave, who says the real power of the program...

MERIT Health Leadership Academy is recruiting the next generation of doctors, nurses, and researchers. Executive director Jake Weinfeld tells us how internships, SAT prep, and college visits, put motivated Baltimore City high school students on the path to a career that will improve public health and reduce disparities. And we hear from MERIT alumna Jessica Cooley and current participant Kanira Jo...

Here’s a Stoop Story from Brian Volck about the lessons he learned while working on a Native American reservation. You can hear his story and many 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 Gerr she/...

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. We speak...

Just as Republican Gov. Larry Hogan and Democrats in the state legislature are squaring off over how much to invest in revamping Maryland’s public schools … a new Goucher Poll finds three out of four Maryland adults claim they’re willing to pay higher taxes for better schools. We ask Mileah Kromer, director of the Sarah T. Hughes Field Politics Center at Goucher College, about that -- and other to...

For 14 years after she was raped … by her best friend … Jeannie Vanasco lived with it, … lived with recurring nightmares … and with an aching sense of confusion about whether she was making too much or too little of it. Eventually, she reached out to ask him to speak with her, and recorded a series of phone conversations that are the core of her new memoir, Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a...

You can start drawing Social-Security benefits at age 62--four or five years before full retirement age. That sounds pretty sweet to many people--until they realize they’re locking in the smallest possible benefit, which could leave them short of funds if they live to a ripe old age. Webster Phillips, with the advocacy group, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, walks u...

When Russian operative were designing ways to influence the 2016 election, Maryland was at the dead center of their targeting. The Russian troll factory called the Internet Research Agency bought more FaceBook ads targeting Maryland, most of them aimed at Baltimore, than any other state. This is a key finding of a deep investigation by students at the University of Maryland College of Journalism,...

The Stoop Storytelling series, founded by Laura Wexler and Jessica Henkin, asks ordinary people to share extraordinary moments in their lives. Their tales are strange, inspiring, and true. Today we share two such stories. Chijioke Madugwulike bravely recounts the painful loss of his father, and Rebecca Ward shares why it’s important to take risks. Do you have a question or comment about a show or...

From animated films to colorful illustrations, Japanese art grabs your attention. Pop aesthetics stand alongside traditional styles and rustic designs compliment highly polished creations. The third annual Baltimore Japan Art Festival next week is a chance to broaden Americans’ perspectives of Japanese culture and highlight Japanese artists. Rob Perry, one of the event’s founders, previews what’s...