On The Record

The world of comic books is filled with feats of bravery and alien invaders. The most visible superheroes in pop culture--Superman, Spiderman, Batman--are all white men. But these days readers want heroes and villains who resemble themselves, so writers feature a more diverse set of characters. Comic-book enthusiast Prachi Kochar tells us about the stories that make her feel included--such as comi...

Where there are people, there is debris, and where there is debris, there are rats … We meet Theo Anthony, the creator of “Rat Film,” a documentary that investigates Baltimore’s rat infestation, juxtaposed with its history of racist urban planning. And we talk with Karen Houppert, a journalist who documents the abundant rat carcasses she encounters in her Charles Village neighborhood. You can see...

The Declaration of Independence lists the pursuit of happiness as one of our inalienable rights. But is happiness equally available to everyone in America? Our public debate about economic policy seldom looks at that. We speak with Carol Graham, of the Brookings Institution and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. Professor Graham has looked at research linking income inequality wit...

At the 22nd Baltimore Book Festival this coming weekend at the Inner Harbor writers will have a chance to get a professional critique of their work, readers a chance to meet and interact with hundreds of published authors and everyone a chance to enjoy some live music. We speak with Kathy Hornig, festivals directors for the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts, novelist Jen Michalski of the...

For an individual with a visual impairment, a service animal can mean mobility, as well as independence. We hear from two volunteers with Guiding Eyes for the Blind - Gemma Carter, who is raising her second service dog, and volunteer coordinator Cindy Lou Altman. Altman’s guide dog Jada has been a major boost to her confidence. Click here for more information about the Baltimore Museum of Industry...

Here’s a Stoop Story -- or rather a confession -- from Katy K., about her life lesson in marching-band hierarchy, and her brush with the dark side of her psyche. You can hear her 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...

Beyond the cacophony of bass drums, cymbals and snares, we hear about why participation in The Christian Warriors, a marching band in West Baltimore, means so much more than making music together. We meet the band’s assistant director, James Parker, who played in the drumline as a young teen. Founder and director Reverend Ernest King tells us about the legacy of dedication and community support th...

The murder and rape of a young woman in Baltimore in 1987 led to the wrongful convictions of two men. Each served more than two decades behind bars, and when D-N-A belatedly showed they had not sexually assaulted her, both faced the same choice: accept an Alford plea--a type of guilty plea--and be released, or maintain their innocence. Megan Rose, a reporter for the nonprofit investigative site Pr...

President Trump’s decision to end DACA, his predecessor’s order protecting from deportation young people who were brought to the U.S. as children, has been met with legal challenges from several states. Maryland has joined one of these challenges; Attorney General Brian Frosh tells us what’s behind that suit. Plus, how are DACA recipients coping with President Trump’s decision? We hear from Baltim...

Interviews with Lynne Kahn, Baltimore Hunger Project founder and Laura Flamm, Director of Healthy Eating and Active Living for Baltimore City’s Health Department for Baltimarket. Also interviewed, Glenn Smith, a senior and neighborhood food advocate in West Baltimore. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising Producer, Mau...

Interview with author Scott Greenberger on his book about the life and legacy of U.S. President Chester A. Arthur. 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...

We're joined by Dr. Panagis Galiatsatos , (C) a Johns Hopkins Bayview doctor who co-founded Medicine for the Greater Good -- the organization partners with communities and extends medical personnel into communities to share health literacy and make medical information and resources more available. We also speak with Reverend Ernest King (L) and Imam Hassan Amin , (R) two community leaders who have...

More than seven thousand languages are spoken around the globe, but researchers have picked up on a curious fact: as you move from the Earth’s poles toward the equator, more and more languages are spoken. Why are there so many more languages spoken in the tropics? Dr. Michael Gavin , associate professor of Human Dimensions of Natural Resources at Colorado State University , describes his investiga...

Since February, Baltimore has been testing a program that offers individuals stopped for minor drug offenses social services, including mental health and drug treatment, in place of arrest. Baltimore Police Captain James Rhoden of the Central District and Crista Taylor , president of the nonprofit Behavioral Health System Baltimore, describe the preliminary impact of LEAD, Law Enforcement Assisted...

Mystery writer and former Baltimore Sun reporter Laura Lippman shares a bittersweet tale of how failure played out--and paid out--in her professional life. You can listen to more stories and learn about Stoop shows 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 410-2...

What do you get when you mix science, business, and a passion for ice cream? Ice Cream University! TIC Gums, which manufactures ingredients for the food and beverage industry, offers this program to Harford County high school students each spring. Tim Andon , TIC Business Development Manager, and Whitney LaRoche , who participated in Ice Cream University and is now studying food science, tell us a...

One of the most powerful impacts of mental illness is isolation, but a local nonprofit is fighting against stigma and encouraging people to leave their diagnosis at the door. Jason Woody , executive director of B’More Clubhouse , and member Tanya Phillips , tell us how the organization builds relationships and gives members a purpose. Plus, Professor William Eaton of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sc...

Baltimore’s tangled history, firmly in the shadow of Annapolis, has given it an inferiority complex. So says Johns Hopkins professor emeritus of political science Matthew Crenson , whose new book is: Baltimore: A Political History . We ask him why early town fathers didn’t have the power to keep pigs from wandering the streets, how investing in the first interstate railroad left the city too debt-...

For decades, the public has been anticipating the total solar eclipse of August 21, 2017. Millions of people are expected to travel to the Path of Totality -- a 70 mile wide swath across the U.S. -- hoping to witness it. We ask NASA Research Space Scientist Noah Petro , James Webb telescope engineer Nikita Gokhale and local street astronomy #p opscope group organizer Ariel Hicks why it's such a bi...

We talk with award-winning journalist Mary Otto about her new book ?Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America.? It chronicles the rise of cosmetic dentistry and the marketing of the coveted ?Hollywood Smile,? contrasted with decades of deficient access to oral healthcare for many Americans--a gap that still pervades and challenges the system. Otto?s book w...

A wedding ceremony may be the union of two souls, but the day represents so much more--encompassing families, cultures and communities. Tracie Guy-Decker , Jewish Museum of Maryland associate director talks about what we can read into dresses, documents, chuppas and cake-toppers -- some of what's featured in the new JMM exhibit, " Just Married! Wedding Stories from Jewish Maryland. " This is a reb...

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theories dating back to Darwin on their head. Biologist Jordan Price , of St Mary?s College of Maryland, has mapped the genes of both ancient and more recently derived bird species. He tells us why domed bird nests evolved into the widespread bowl shape, why the color of feathers might be more about camou...

During decades of Jim Crow, African-American travelers couldn?t be sure what they?d face at a strange restaurant, a hotel, even a gas station. Would the door be slammed in their face, or worse? The Green Book , an annual listing of establishments welcoming black customers, started in the late ?30s. We speak with Anne Bruder , a State Highway Administration historian who is researching Green Book b...

From the shape of the nests birds build to the color of their feathers, technology is turning theories dating back to Darwin on their head. Biologist Jordan Price , of St Mary?s College of Maryland, has mapped the genes of both ancient and more recently derived bird species. He tells us why domed bird nests evolved into the widespread bowl shape, why the color of feathers might be more about camou...

Here?s an unusual idea: using tiny houses to address the affordable housing crisis. Many of these homes are 200 square feet or less. Could they help house low-wage earners in Baltimore? Greg Cantori , CEO of Maryland Nonprofits , and Davin Hong , principle architect at the Living Design Lab , describe their vision. And Klaus Philipsen , urban planner and president of Archplan, Inc. , shares his th...