On The Record

Just over halfway through this year, Baltimore has crossed a frightening threshold: more than 200 city residents have been murdered. What can be done to stop the violence? Daniel Webster , director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Policy and Research , discusses the obstacles posed by stolen guns and repeat offenders. And Erickka Bridgeford , one of the organizers of a 72-hour ceasefire this co...

Morgan Smith , sharing how the French New Wave film, Band of Outsiders, changed his course in life. You can find more stories like this, as well as information about live Stoop events, 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 Senior Producer, Melis...

From playing basketball in South Baltimore to churning out pints of cool mint chocolate chip and sweet honey graham. We speak with two of the founders of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream , Sean Smeeton and Carroll Skipwith , about the company’s start, its roots in the community, and the universal appeal of ice cream. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the...

Sunscreen, bug spray, shampoo, deodorant. When we wash personal care products like these off of our bodies, they go down the drain, pass through wastewater treatment plants, and end up in our rivers and oceans. Scientists have found numerous ill effects from these chemicals, including the feminization of fish. Environmental engineer Lee Blaney , associate professor at UMBC, joins us to talk about...

Marylanders have more than a year before they’ll cast votes for governor, but already the field is crowded. Six Democrats have declared their candidacy, and at least that many are considering it. Do any of them have what it takes to unseat Maryland’s popular Republican governor? We chat with political scientists Todd Eberly of St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Mileah Kromer of Goucher about Larry...

Forgetting someone’s name, getting caught with spinach in your teeth. We all experience cringe worthy moments, but some people seem never to grow out of their awkward teenage years. Psychologist Ty Tashiro tells us why these mishaps happen and why some people are more awkward than others. His new book is Awkward: The Science of Why We’re Socially Awkward and Why That’s Awesome . Do you have a ques...

Teens who have lost someone they love may feel angry or overwhelmed, struggle to ask for help and withdraw from their friends. The nonprofit Roberta’s House aims to let young people know they are not alone in grief, and help them develop tools to work through their grief and rebuild their lives. We speak to Dorenzer Thomas , coordinator of youth and school-based services at Roberta’s House, volunt...

Actress Maria Broom sharing a story at the Stoop Storytelling event, ----The Show Must Go On,---- which took place at Everyman Theater in May. She shared some of the wisdom learned on set filming the HBO series, ----The Corner,---- here in Baltimore. You can find more stories like this, as well as information about live Stoop events, here . Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story...

Imagine a tour of Shakespeare's greatest works, given by the Bard himself, except that he is a shark. Hard to wrap your mind around? Never fear: Fluid Movement , a performance-art group in Baltimore, will bring this wacky tale to life with singing, dancing, and costumes in ----Sharkespeare - the water ballet----. It's powered by goggles, face paint, and lots of sunscreen. Co-producer Rachel Kassma...

Say goodbye to those iconic yellow boxes. The Baltimore Sun Media Group has announced it plans to close a recent acquisition, the Baltimore City Paper. City Paper first hit the presses in 1977. Over four decades, the local paper with an attitude has provided a forum for investigative reporters, writers, cartoonists, and oddballs alike. And every week, without fail, it has appeared on street corner...

Two wind farms off the coast of Ocean City could be supplying electricity for tens of thousands of Maryland homes in a few years, now that Maryland regulators have OK'd a subsidy through a charge on utility customers' bills. The projects are required to make big investments in steel fabrication and upgrading the former Sparrows Point shipyard. Advocates predict wind power will create thousands of...

Since the 1970's, archaeologists have sifted through the debris of St. Mary's City, the capital of colonial Maryland. What have they learned from the bits of pottery and brick they've discovered? We ask Historic St. Mary's City's Chief Archeologist Travis Parno and ----field school---- assistant Sarah McCoy . Then, Director of Research Henry Miller shares the mystery of three lead coffins discover...

Why do some smells repel us more than others … and why do some immediately trigger a memory? How does our sense of smell interact with other senses, like hearing and sight? Why does an older woman, if her sense of smell grows less acute, have a smaller social circle -- but the same is not true of older men? We talk about all that and more with Johan Lundstrom, a cognitive psychologist who does res...

Steve Walker shares a Stoop story about a broken drive shaft, a pretty girl, and a large chocolate milkshake. You can listen to more stories and learn about Stoop shows 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, M...

One scoop or two? Cup or cone? You can't go wrong with ice cream--whether it's plain vanilla or an exotic melange of candy and fudge. From the birth of the ice cream truck to the origin of the root beer float, we get a pop culture history of this delectable dessert from Amy Ettinger , author of the new book, ----Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America----. Do you have a question or comment a...

Why is it important for each Baltimore neighborhood to understand the dozens of statistics that describe it and its people where they live, how long it takes them to get work, how many of the homes around them are vacant? We ask Seema Iyer of the University of Baltimore, driving force behind the Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance , how such data can predict where things are going, not just...

Whether you are lazing by the pool or passing time at the airport, summer is a great time to get lost in a good book. Deborah Taylor of the Enoch Pratt Free Library shares selections that appeal to adults--thrillers, memoirs, and more. And Jamie Watson of the Baltimore County Public Library has ideas for books to catch the interest of children, teens, and reluctant readers. Do you have a question...

Think again if you've been assuming curiosity is constant, like gravity. We talk to astrophysicist Mario Livio about his new book, ----Why: What Makes us Curious----. Not only are some people more curious than others, and curious about different questions, but homo sapiens? capacity for curiosity grew as its brain evolved. For all its variations, Livio deems curiosity an unstoppable drive. Do you...

Many families get sticker shock when they look at the cost of college - a number that doesn't even take into account textbooks or trips home for the holidays. Money magazine senior writer Kim Clark walks us through why the cost of college keeps rising, as well as what to do when a financial aid package doesn't measure up. Plus, a new ranking looks at which schools do the best job of moving low-inc...

Now, a Stoop Story from former Baltimore City Councilman Joseph "Jody" Landers , about the constant commotion of growing up in Northeast Baltimore in a family of eight. You can find his story and others at Stoop Storytelling , as well as information about upcoming Stoop events and the show’s podcast. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at:...

Open Society Institute-Baltimore is supplying the city's health department funds for another front in the fight against the opioid epidemic. The $200,000 grant is aimed at saving lives from overdose and reducing stigma around addiction. We speak to OSI director Diana Morris about what activities the grant will fund and how she'll measure the success of this investment. Do you have a question or co...

The impact a crime has upon a victim can be pervasive -- the trauma can affect children, parents, other loved ones and friends. Comprehending the victim's point of view and the depth of that widespread impact can be a powerful healing tool for both the perpetrator and the victim. We meet Wayne Brewton , convicted of murder at age 17 with a life sentence, and paroled after 38 years, who championed...

For 90 years, The League for People with Disabilities has worked to foster independence for those living with physical, cognitive or neurological handicaps. Annually, more than 2-thousand individuals get resources, care and rehabilitation at its multiple facilities. We'll speak with Peris Bennett , about his experiences as a participant in the League's workforce development program and David Green...

When Union General Oliver Otis Howard was named right after the Civil War to head the Freedman's Bureau, Howard was creating a new kind of government agency, one that would take an active role in solving the problems of freed slaves and poor whites in the former Confederacy. A dozen years later, with the Freedman's Bureau disbanded, Howard went west. Aided by a bright young officer from Baltimore,...

For nearly four decades BJ Leiderman's melodies have graced the public airwaves, accompanying radio programs such as Marketplace , Morning Edition , and Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! We speak to him about how he got his start, his fear of success, and his debut album, just out, titled BJ . Original air date: May 8, 2017. Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact...