On The Record

<p>A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … galaxy 3C 186, to be precise … two black holes merged, creating one supermassive black hole and propelling it at great speed away from the galaxy’s center. </p> <p><a href="https://physics.umbc.edu/people/faculty/meyer/"><strong>Eileen Meyer</strong></a>, an associate professor of physics at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, explains how this observation bolsters theories about how galaxies and black holes behave, "Galaxies tend to be born kind of in close family groups and they’re so massive, with billions of stars, that they start sliding towards each other."</p> <p>We ask Meyer about this runaway black hole and how citizen-scientists can get involved in astronomical research.</p> <p>Learn more:<br><a href="https://www.zooniverse.org/">Zooniverse</a><br><a href="https://umbc.edu/stories/black-hole-zooms-away-from-galaxys-center/">UMBC’s Eileen Meyer and team find strongest evidence yet of a black hole zooming away from its galaxy’s center</a><br><a href="https://inspirehep.net/files/6db793f76fed20773f835ac12bbbcea1">NOEMA observations support a recoiling black hole in 3C 186 </a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Baltimore’s public schools start the new year in just 25 days … and the system is still looking to hire hundreds of teachers for vacancies. How will classrooms be affected and what’s being done to get educators in place?</p> <p>The schools’ chief of staff, <strong>Alison Perkins-Cohen</strong>, says the system has been recruiting energetically and still is. But, she warns Baltimore and Maryland are not alone in the teacher deficit:</p> <p><em>“All of us need to be thinking nationally about how do we solve this problem and how do we make teaching more attractive to young people as such the important job that it is in terms of really shaping the future.”</em></p> <p>Plus Baltimore Teachers <em>Union </em>officer <strong>Cristina Duncan Evans</strong> … explains teachers are excited for the new school year but the effects of burnout are real. </p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>While people in state prison come from all over Maryland, new Census data reveal the lopsided burden on some communities - the southern Eastern Shore, Hagerstown, and most acutely, Baltimore City.</p> <p>The report, produced by the <a href="https://justicepolicy.org/">Justice Policy Institute</a> and the <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/">Prison Policy Initiative</a>, is titled, <a href="https://justicepolicy.org/research/where-people-in-prison-come-from-the-geography-of-mass-incarceration-in-maryland/">"Where people come from: The geography of mass incarceration in Maryland." </a></p> <p><strong>Keith Wallington</strong> of the <a href="https://justicepolicy.org/">Justice Policy Institute</a> says the findings cast doubt on what is being done to prevent incarceration and reduce recidivism, "In many cases, individuals are going back to these same neighborhoods they come from, which are neighborhoods that have seen sustained investments in the justice system at the expense of other investments."</p> <p>Check out data on the number of people in prison in 2020 from each <a href="https://www.prisonpolicy.org/origin/md/2020/county.html">Maryland county</a> and from <a href="In%20Baltimore,%20we%20break%20down%20local%20imprisonment%20data%20by:%20Baltimore%20Community%20statistical%20areas1">Baltimore City neighborhoods.</a></p> <p>Then, <strong>Michael Harris</strong> of the Baltimore re-entry program, <a href="https://www.facebaltimore.org/home">Face Inc.</a> - Freedom Advocates Celebrating Ex-Offenders - talks about the challenges that confront returning citizens. Harris is a recipient of a 2022 Weaver Award. Learn more <a href="https://awards.weareweavers.org/">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Divorce is hard for adults. Children are <em>more </em>fragile. The <a href="https://www.nfrchelp.org/">National Family Resiliency Center</a> holds a special place to protect the mental and emotional well-being of kids, and works to keep whole families communicating and supportive through transitions.</p> <p>Executive Director <strong>Risa Garon </strong>describes how parents, lawyers, therapists and judges work together to make that happen. And <strong>Meg Sreenivas, </strong>a client turned peer counselor, describes how, when she was 12 -year-old, adrift, the center made all the difference. </p> <p>The NFRC will host a series of educational programs for teens beginning next month, and in October, the organization will hold therapy groups for teens in high school. These programs are designed to help teens deal with stress associated with school, peers, family and social media. More information <a href="https://www.nfrchelp.org/programs-and-seminars/">here</a>.</p> <p><em>Original air-date: June 20, 2022.</em></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><a href="https://d-watkins.com/"><strong>D. Watkins</strong></a> is tired of the lies. Lies about being tough, about not feeling pain … or loss … or rejection. </p> <p>In his latest book,<em> <a href="https://www.oururbanreads.com/product-page/black-boy-smile-a-memoir-in-moments">‘Black Boy Smile: A Memoir</a></em><a href="https://www.oururbanreads.com/product-page/black-boy-smile-a-memoir-in-moments"><em> in </em><em>Moments,’</em> </a>Watkins shows how he learned to face those lies and push through to the truth. He hopes everyone, especially young Black men and boys, find that strength from his stories:</p> <p><em>“I want them to understand that we all have the power to write our own scripts. I want them to understand that even if you’re from a rough environment, you still deserve a happy ending, you deserve to be loved, you deserve people to care about you and you deserve to care about other people.”</em><em> </em><strong>(15 sec)</strong></p> <p>Plus, how reading set his life on a whole different path. </p> <p>D. Watkins is part of the Writers LIVE! series at Enoch Pratt Central Library on Wed. Aug. 3 at 7pm. <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/writers-live-d-watkins-tickets-343034394107">More details here</a>. He'll also be signing copies of "Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised" with Carmelo Anthony at Urban Reads on Saturday Aug. 6 at 2pm. <a href="https://www.oururbanreads.com/events">More info here.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.andylowrie.com/">Andy Lowrie</a> </strong>wants you to wear his sculptural works of art, and also to think about how they are made. His exhibit, titled “Fulfillment,” now up at the Baltimore Jewelry Center, plays upon several interpretations of that word.</p> <p>For instance, choosing a piece of jewelry is personally fulfilling, he says. It’s a mode of self-expression and self identity: </p> <p><strong><em>“</em></strong><em>It’s also the word that is used for having goods shipped to us. So that idea, to me, was really interesting: how are we fulfilled, are we really being fulfilled by the things that are meant to be fulfilling us … What </em>is <em>fulfillment, in a sense.”</em> <strong></strong></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.baltimorejewelrycenter.org/">Baltimore Jewelry Center</a>, <a href="https://www.stationnorth.org/news/2022/7/25/july-29th-art-walk-spotlight-on-charles-north">Station North Art Walk</a>, <a href="https://www.baltimorejewelrycenter.org/exhibitions">Fulfillment exhibit at BJC</a>, <a href="https://www.baltimorejewelrycenter.org/calendar-and-news">Artist's Talk at BJC</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here’s a Stoop Story from <strong>Julie MacDonald</strong> about a friendly rat companion … and the power of magical thinking. You can hear her story and others at <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">StoopStorytelling.com</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Twenty thousand Baltimore children have a parent behind bars or on parole or probation. A new program called <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/news/press-releases/2022-04-06-federal-grant-expands-support-children-incarcerated-parents-baltimore">B’More Reconnects</a> aims to solidify the bonds between a parent and child and reduce trauma. </p> <p><strong><a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/about-us/directory/profile/?name=Kate-Sweeney&directorynumber=345">Kate Sweeney</a> </strong>co-directs the <a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/our-work/ruth-young-center-for-maryland/piec/">Parent, Infant, Early Childhood Program </a>at the <a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/">Institute for Innovation and Implementation</a> at the<a href="https://theinstitute.umaryland.edu/"> University of Maryland School of Social Work</a>. She describes B’More Reconnects’ group parenting classes, which will start pre-release and continue for six months <em>after</em>. </p> <p>Then Deputy Mayor <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/people/faith-p-leach-0"><strong>Faith Leach</strong></a> shares her connection to this initiative. After her mother was released from prison, they rebuilt their relationship, and Leach saw her mother return to college, "My mom’s story is the illustration of why we can’t ever - and let me repeat that - we can’t ever give up on our neighbors that are returning home."</p> <p>And <strong>Kimberly Haven</strong>,<strong> </strong>executive director of <a href="https://www.rjinside.org/">Reproductive Justice Inside</a>, talks about her experience as a mother in prison.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Heat waves, wildfires, air-quality alerts… Undeniably we’re hit with more of these--and people where there’s limited investment are hit harder. </p> <p>We hear from<strong> Professor Sacoby Wilson</strong>, co-founder of the University of Maryland’s ‘Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health’, about the need to work from the bottom up to equitably and efficiently fight climate change:</p> <p><em>“We have to focus on the most vulnerable populations. Those who are socially vulnerable, economically vulnerable those who don’t have health-care access. We then make sure our climate policies emphasize protecting them. If we do that, I think we’ll be able to protect everybody from climate change.” </em></p> <p>Plus, <strong>Shashawnda Campbell</strong> from the South Baltimore Community Land Trust, on why she’s educating and mobilizing neighbors … and is in it for the long game.</p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.sbclt.org/">South Baltimore Land Trust</a>, <a href="https://www.ceejh.center/">The Center for Community Engagement, Environmental Justice and Health,</a> University of Maryland <a href="https://www.ceejh.center/umd-ej-symposium">Symposium on Environmental Justice and Health Disparities</a>, Aug. 11-13.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Votes from the primary election are still being counted, but the trend lines are so clear that Democrat Wes Moore claimed victory in the race to carry his party’s banner in the race for governor. He drew a sharp contrast between himself and Republican nominee Dan Cox, saying, "It’s a choice between unity and division. It’s a choice between a future built on hope and optimism versus a future built on cynical policies of conspiracy theories and fear.”<strong> </strong></p> <p><em>Baltimore Banner</em> politics reporter <strong><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/author/pamela-wood/">Pamela Wood</a> </strong>joins us to talk about the dynamics behind who won and who lost, and how things are shaping up for the November election. Plus, we ask former Lieutenant Gov.<strong> <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelSteele">Michael Steele</a></strong>, a Republican, about where his party is heading in the Free State. </p> <p>Find more election reporting by <a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news">WYPR </a>and the <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/topic/politics-power/">Baltimore Banner</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>About 24 hours into counting mail-in ballots cast in the primary election, we speak with WYPR Baltimore County reporter<strong><a href="https://www.wypr.org/people/john-lee"> John Lee</a>. </strong>We’ll ask: what’s the latest in the contests for County executive and council, as well as the extremely tight race to be Democratic nominee for state’s attorney -- where progressive Robbie Leonard is challenging four-term incumbent Scott Shellenberger. And we talk through the logistics of canvassing thousands of mail-in ballots. Lee spoke with <strong>Ruie LaVoie</strong>, Baltimore County Elections director, who said, "We're going to process and scan 6 to 8,000 a day because I did the math and if we do that we're going to certify July 29th."</p> <p>Find more election coverage from the <a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news">WYPR newsroom</a>. Listen to John Lee's latest story <a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-07-21/mail-in-ballot-tally-begins-in-maryland-most-counties-still-counting">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here’s a Stoop Story from <strong>Shira Laden</strong> about his pranks at summer camp.Find more from the <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoop Storytelling Series</a>-- including upcoming live events and the Stoop podcast.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Music can soothe, motivate and stir feelings. Can music heal? <strong>Dr. Alexander Pantelyat</strong>, who runs the Johns Hopkins Center for Music and Medicine, develops therapies and conducts research with patients who have Parkinson’s disease and other ailments. He says it’s not one-size-fits all, and can be tailored to each patient just like other medications.</p> <p>Plus, Senior Music Therapist <strong>Kerry Devlin</strong>, who works with adults and children, says that using music for healing may not be the right fit for everyone, but for many:</p> <p>“It’s an experience that brings something different into their care. It feels really different from some of the other therapies that they move through because of the ways in which it holds space for their experiences, their music and their personhood.”</p> <p>Links: The Johns Hopkins <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/center-for-music-and-medicine/index.html">Center for Music and Medicine</a>, Where to <a href="https://netforum.avectra.com/eweb/DynamicPage.aspx?Site=amta2&WebCode=IndSearch">find a music therapist.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>With thousands of mail-in ballots still a mystery, author and activist Wes Moore is ahead in the votes counted so far to be the Democratic nominee for governor.In the Republican primary, Trump-endorsed state Delegate Dan Cox declared victory. We’ll talk about it with WYPR’s <strong><a href="https://www.wypr.org/people/rachel-baye">Rachel Baye</a></strong> and pollster <strong><a href="https://twitter.com/MileahKromer?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">Mileah Kromer</a>.</strong></p> <p>Listen to Rachel Baye's story: <a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-07-19/dan-cox-an-election-denier-wins-the-maryland-republican-primary-for-governor">"Dan Cox, an election denier, wins the Maryland Republican primary for governor."</a></p> <p>Check out the <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t9zLnnwcNwnxL_MZB3VoCyeFfxPs6Ma5/edit?rtpof=true&sd=true#gid=32857214">results </a>of the recent Goucher College Poll, conducted in partnership with WYPR and the Baltimore Banner.</p> <p>In Baltimore, defense attorney Ivan Bates leads the current vote count for state’s attorney. <strong><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/author/tim-prudente/">Tim Prudente </a></strong>of <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/">the Baltimore Banner </a>outlines the contentious race between Bates, incumbent Marilyn Mosby, and former prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah.</p> <p>Read Tim Prudente's latest: <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/ivan-bates-takes-edge-in-baltimore-states-attorneys-race-after-first-few-precincts-report-I7WFXX32TRGUDIQ3DY52LCACXY/">"Ivan Bates holds 4,000 vote lead in Baltimore state’s attorney race as rivals await mail-in count."</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Since March 2020, the <a href="https://mdfoodbank.org/">Maryland Food Bank’s </a>statewide food assistance network has distributed the equivalent of 100 million meals in response to the pandemic. But the uncertainty of the pandemic led right into the stress of inflation. </p> <p>Maryland Food Bank CEO and President <strong>Carmen Del Guercio </strong>says rising demand for food is coupled with rising costs, "Today we’re purchasing about 25 million pounds of food. That’s twice what we would buy pre-COVID, to respond to the demand. And the cost of that food is double."</p> <p>Use the<a href="https://mdfoodbank.org/find-food/"> Find Food</a> tool to locate food assistance in your area. You can also phone: 410-737-8282. A ‘<a href="https://mdfoodbank.fenly.org/drive/baltimore-orioles-food-funds-drive/">food and funds’ drive</a> organized by the MD Food Bank and the Orioles starts tomorrow and runs through the weekend.</p> <p>Plus, summer vacation can mean children who rely on school for meals go hungry. <a href="https://www.bcpl.info/">Baltimore County Public Library Director </a><strong>Sonia Alcántara</strong><strong>-Antoine </strong>describes its free lunch program for kids, and other free community resources. Find information about free meals and the Summer Reading Challenge <a href="https://www.bcpl.info/youth/summer-reading.html#:~:text=Summer%20Meals&text=%E2%80%8BProvided%20by%20Good%20Harvest,or%20eating%20in%20the%20branch.&text=Lansdowne%E2%80%9412%3A30%20p.m.&text=North%20Point%E2%80%9412%3A30%20p.m.&text=Woodlawn%E2%80%9412%3A30%20p.m.">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Who is the American health system for? A new book, <em>Health for Everyone, </em>edited by primary-care physician and bioethicist<strong> Dr.</strong> <strong>Zackary Berger</strong>--calls for revolutionizing the system by putting patients at its center. </p> <p>His Johns-Hopkins colleague, adolescent-and-child psychiatrist <strong>Hal Kronsberg</strong>, told of a young Baltimore man who stayed strong for his family when his mother was murdered, without processing guilt and grief. Better than treating the eventual depression, Kronsberg said, would have been to keep the trauma from happening.</p> <p>Does it ask too much to expect doctors to solve social and political problems? Berger says no:</p> <p><em>“If we’re stepping outside our lane it’s not like we’re giving up our magical powers, We don’t have magical powers, right? We need to figure out how best to work together and solve problems.”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://redemmas.org/events/book-launch-dr-zackary-berger-presents-health-for-everyone-in-conversation-with-cecilia-tomori/">Dr. Zackary Berger in conversation with Cecilia Tomori at Red Emma’s bookstore, Wed. July 20 at 7pm</a>. <a href="https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781538141854/Health-for-Everyone-A-Guide-to-Politically-and-Socially-Progressive-Healthcare">Health for Everyone.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><a href="https://www.burgerphoto.com/"><strong>Jim Burger</strong></a> is an avid collector of artifacts, a creator of images and a teller of tales. Those all come together in his book: <em>“What’s Not to Like: Words and Pictures of a Charmed Life.” </em>His experience includes a decade shooting for the <em>Sun Papers </em>in the late 80s -- so he also sees the importance of his role as documentarian:</p> <p> <em>“I was walking around the building one day and I was just taking pictures just to show what it looked like and how a newspaper was made. And now it’s a historical document. Nothing, literally nothing in those photos exists!”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.burgerphoto.com/">Jim Burger Photography</a>, "<a href="https://burgerphotobook.com/buy-the-book/ols/products/whats-not-to-like">What's Not to Like?"</a>, Burger's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1525115317923154?ref=newsfeed">Book talk and signing at Beth Am, Sun. July 17 at 1pm</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here is a Stoop Story from <strong>Petula Caesar</strong> about identity, speaking one’s truth and when <em>not </em>to take parental advice. You can hear her story and others at <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoopstorytelling.com</a> .</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The city of Baltimore has been losing population for seven decades. What made the 38,000-person loss disclosed in the 2020 census so heartbreaking was not just its size--the city had seen bigger, even <em>multiple,</em> losses in previous decades. But Baltimore was the <em>only </em>city on the East Coast to shrink: New York, Boston, Atlanta all expanded. Nearby Philadelphia grew by 4 percent, Washington DC by <em>17 </em>percent.</p> <p>What is driving Baltimore’s shrinkage? UB research professor <strong><a href="https://www.ubalt.edu/merrick/faculty/alpha-directory-faculty/siyer.cfm">Seema Iyer </a></strong>scrubbed the data. Some blame crime, but she says crime is a symptom of deeper failures: neighborhoods isolated, without social, civic, digital or transportation connections.</p> <p>Plus, <strong><a href="https://www.fightblightbmore.com/nnekannamdi-fbb-founder">Nneka N'namdi</a> </strong>of<a href="https://www.fightblightbmore.com/"> Fight Blight Bmore </a>discusses why demolishing vacants seldom fixes a neighborhood’s problems.</p> <p>Explore the <a href="https://communitychange-bniajfi.hub.arcgis.com/">Baltimore Community Change Project's</a> research about how neighborhoods evolved from 2010 to 2020. Next week is Baltimore Data Week 2022. Find the schedule of events <a href="https://bniajfi.org/data_day/">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>As new variants drive COVID infections and hospitalizations, antiviral drugs are an important tool to prevent serious illness or death. <strong><a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-people/adalja/">Dr. Amesh Adalja</a> </strong>is an infectious disease physician and a Senior Scholar at the <a href="https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/">Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security</a>. He says more studies are needed to determine if antiviral drugs can prevent long COVID.Plus, is another pandemic on the horizon? We ask <strong><a href="https://sph.umd.edu/people/boris-d-lushniak">Dr. Boris Lushniak</a></strong>, dean of the <a href="https://sph.umd.edu/">University of Maryland School of Public Health</a>, about the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/response/2022/world-map.html">global spread of monkeypox</a>. Find information about monkeypox cases in Maryland <a href="https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/OIDEOR/Pages/monkeypox.aspx">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Opioid overdoses take thousands of lives. And now Xylazine, a tranquilizer meant for large animals, has been discovered as a cutting agent, through a rapid analysis program led by Maryland’s Opioid Operational Command Center. A whopping 80 percent of drugs tested show additives, says OOCC director <strong>Robin Rickard</strong>:</p> <p><em>“Fentanyl is in absolutely everything-- it’s in cocaine, it’s in pills, and you’re playing Russian roulette when you’re out there using. Now Xylazine is out there, it’s just not safe to use anything right now.”</em></p> <p>Then <strong>Kam Kerr</strong>, from the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition, on why they advocate for safe-use spaces to prevent overdose and save lives:</p> <p><em>“People who use drugs are human beings and deserve dignity and respect.” </em></p> <p>Links:<a href="https://beforeitstoolate.maryland.gov/about-the-opioid-operational-command-center/"> Opioid Operational Command Center resources</a>,<a href="https://baltimoreharmreduction.org/"> Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition</a>,<a href="https://baltimoreharmreduction.org/bridges-coalition/"> BRIDGES Coalition</a>,<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1b3drEsAZAyt75ly0OyDeu-akaFy9Iob52Hg98j4GNz0/edit"> Overdose Prevention Open House</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/qa-with-lawrence-jackson-a-native-son-returns-to-baltimore/">Lawrence Jackson</a> </strong>grew up in West Baltimore. Returning to the city as a “distinguished professor” at Johns Hopkins after building his career elsewhere … called him to navigate the city’s streets and neighborhoods with a discerning eye, calculating what works for his sons and for him, finding answers in the distant as well as recent past, digging into the <em>patrimony </em>he’s earned and what he can hope to pass on.</p> <p>Jackson invites us on the journey in <em><a href="https://greedyreads.com/item/gQa9oC6cOlUsXzBzBc4L0g">Shelter: A Black Tale of Homeland, Baltimore</a>. </em></p> <p><strong></strong><strong> </strong><em>“The book of course is a gigantic irony of the process of upward mobility for African Americans. What does the striving amount to under the conditions which one inevitably faces.”</em><strong> </strong></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Maryland citizens who have made a choice about who they want as their next governor, or person in congress, or any of the scores of other public offices up for election this year, have started voting in the party primary -- either in person or by mail or dropbox. They have until 8 p.m. July 19 to vote.</p> <p>Recent polling hints that many MORE citizens are still making up their minds. <a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news">WYPR </a>politics reporter <a href="https://www.wypr.org/people/rachel-baye"><strong>Rachel Baye </strong></a>says voters often decide at the last minute.</p> <p>And <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/author/pamela-wood/"><strong>Pamela Wood </strong></a>of <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/">The Baltimore Banner </a>says it doesn’t mean they’re not interested, "Marylanders are not used to voting in July. This is very unusual. Kids are off at summer camp, families are going on vacation. There is also I think a challenge, particularly on the Democratic side, that there are so many candidates.”</p> <p>More on the Goucher Poll, conducted in partnership with WYPR and the Baltimore Banner:<br><a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1t9zLnnwcNwnxL_MZB3VoCyeFfxPs6Ma5/edit#gid=32857214">Full poll results</a><br><a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-06-28/is-maryland-moving-in-the-right-direction-depends-on-which-voter-you-ask">Is Maryland ‘moving in the right direction? Depends on which voter you ask</a><br><a href="https://www.wypr.org/wypr-news/2022-06-28/maryland-voters-still-largely-undecided-for-governors-race-poll-shows">Maryland voters still largely undecided for Governor's Race, poll shows</a><br><a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/politics-power/state-government/poll-top-three-democratic-candidates-for-maryland-governor-are-tied-with-many-still-undecided-RM7ACWPUQFGPVJM7XQQEZI5S5I/">Poll: Top three Democratic candidates for Maryland governor are tied, with many still undecided</a></p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Take a listen to this Stoop love story from <strong>Taylor Binnix</strong> about finding her match during the pandemic.</p> <p>Find out more about the Stoop Storytelling Series --including live events and the Stoop podcast--<a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>There hasn’t been a Republican in the Maryland Attorney General seat in seven decades. But <strong>Jim Shalleck</strong>, running in the GOP primary, believes his highest priority -- stomping out violent crime -- appeals to Democrats and Independents, too. His plan is to shift 40 or 50 lawyers who work for the AG to prosecuting serious street crime:</p> <p><em>“You know it’s an army! The Attorney General is an army. And it hasn’t been used to help fight crime. So I want to take a tenth of the office and use it to divert its priorities to fighting crime.” </em></p> <p>Plus, we ask about funding the police, legalizing marijuana, enforcing environmental laws and why he wants to reinstate resource officers in public schools.</p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.jimshalleck.com/">Jim Shalleck for AG</a>, <a href="https://www.wypr.org/tags/mdelections2022">MDElections2022</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Running in the Republican primary for Attorney General, <strong><a href="https://patriots4peroutka.com/">Michael Anthony Peroutka</a>,</strong> a retired lawyer and former member of the Anne Arundel County Council, says his top priority would be to undo what he sees as the government’s overreach of the pandemic: <em>"My top priority would be to redress what I call gross violations of the rights of the people to assemble, to care for their own medical health, to run a business. All these mandates, edicts, orders, proclamations - wherever you want to call them - are not law. They’re not lawful."</em></p> <p>Asked if he would enforce Maryland’s 1992 law that makes abortion legal until viability, Peroutka said no--he believes abortion is murder. He said he also would focus on election integrity and Second Amendment rights.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>More than one hundred thousand Americans await an organ transplant … and most organ donations come from deceased donors. </p> <p><strong>Ieesha </strong>J<strong>ohnson</strong>, executive director of community outreach at the Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland, works to dispel myths and educate the public about what it means to be an organ donor.</p> <p>And <strong>Danette</strong> <strong>Ragin</strong>, an organ recipient and relative of deceased organ donors, talks about how somebody’s decision to donate a kidney has profoundly changed her life:</p> <p><em>“Until the shoe is on the other foot, you really probably won’t know the true significance of it. But if you have any reservations, I pray that my testimonial will help you come to a decision to at least try to help someone.”</em></p> <p>Links: Donor law changes: <a href="https://register.donatelifemaryland.org/Login.aspx">update your Maryland license donor status</a>; <a href="https://www.thellf.org/">Living Legacy Foundation of Maryland</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Daniel and Mary Bell tried to use the courts to win freedom for their family, so history shows us more details about them than many other enslaved people in the 19th century. We know that Francis Scott Key, who wrote our national anthem, was one of the white people who lined up against freedom for enslaved people like the Bells.</p> <p><a href="https://animatinghistory.com/bellaffair/">A new film</a> tells the Bells’ story. We talk to director <strong>Kwakiutl Dreher </strong>and historian <strong>William G. Thomas III</strong>. Thomas says, "We need to see this part of American history differently-- enslaved people, not as nameless and faceless, but as real people acting in history, who are clearly attempting to claim freedom from day one of the United States." And we ask two of Mary and Daniel’s descendants about the strength they draw from this history. <em>Original air date: May 19, 2022.</em></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Love him or hate him -- and people did both -- William Donald Schaefer, the unforgettable Mayor of Baltimore City, got stuff done. One of his persistent commands-- “Do It Now!”-- is the title of a new musical about his tenure as mayor. Yeah, you read that right.</p> <p>We get a preview from <strong>Timoth David Copney,</strong> director and choreographer, and from <strong>Jonathan Jensen, </strong>who wrote and composed the songs that take audiences on the journey: </p> <p><strong>"</strong><em>Whatever his failures, whatever faults -- Baltimore -- intractable problems we still have, he was a giant figure in the history of this city and there’s no denying what he did during his time here.”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.fpct.org/doitnow">"Do It Now!" performance info and tickets</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p> Here’s a Stoop Story from<strong> Eric Schaefer</strong>, about the power of belief. You can hear his story and others at <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoopstorytelling.com</a> .</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of Maryland. Former prosecutor and retired district court Judge <strong>Katie Curran O’Malley</strong> is vying for that seat in the Democratic primary July 19.</p> <p>We ask about her plans to fight gun violence, protect the environment, maintain reproductive rights for women, and what she learned from her father, J. Joseph Curran Jr., who for two decades held the job she’s hoping to get:</p> <p><em>“I learned how much integrity you really need to have when you’re running. And how the only thing that matters isn’t necessarily if everybody agrees with you, but if you are doing what you believe is in the best interest of all Marylanders.”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.katieformd.com/">KatieforMD</a>, <a href="https://www.wypr.org/tags/mdelections2022">MDElections2022</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>A kind of immunotherapy--extracting a cancer patient’s own white blood cells and re-engineering them to destroy the cancer cells--is raising hope. </p> <p><strong>Dr. Aaron Rapoport</strong>, who heads cellular therapy at the University of Maryland’s <a href="https://www.umms.org/umgccc">Greenebaum Cancer Center,</a> says in about half the three hundred patients he’s treated with this therapy, the cancer is gone. <strong>Kathy Ruehle,</strong> an oncology nurse for 36 years, manages the program:</p> <p><strong>“</strong>I can honestly say that this has been one of the most exciting times and one of the most hopeful times in care because of the opportunity that this therapy affords patients who may otherwise not have therapy to help them.”</p> <p>The we talk with<strong> Sonia Su, </strong>who was out of options after she relapsed twice with aggressive lymphoma. Now cancer-free, she’s working to help other patients. </p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.umms.org/umgccc">Greenebaum Cancer Center, </a><a href="https://kitstoheart.org/">Kits to Heart</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Running in the Democratic primary for Attorney General, Congressman and former lieutenant governor <strong>Anthony Brown </strong>says his top priority would be cut crime, using the office’s organized-crime unit to go after drug rings, and forestalling repeat offenders by getting them job training, drug treatment and other services the first time they’re locked up.</p> <p>He said he’ll also focus on consumer rights and civil rights -- and he sees a big role for Maryland’s attorney general in making sure women blocked from getting an abortion in other states are protected if they come to Maryland: "There will be efforts by Texas officials to extradite either these women or a Maryland provider as part of a criminal prosecution in Texas, and as the Attorney General, I’m going to resist those efforts."</p> <p>Check out Brown's campaign <a href="https://www.anthonybrown.com/">website</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>As conservatives cheered the Supreme Court’s decree ending federal abortion rights, … advocates of those rights seethed. What is the fallout in Maryland? </p> <p>We hear from<strong> Erin Younkins</strong>. She’s a mother of seven and the director of <a href="https://www.archbalt.org/evangelization/office-of-life-justice-and-peace/">Life, Justice and Peace</a> for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. </p> <p>Then <strong>Lynn McCann </strong>of the <a href="https://www.baltimoreabortionfund.org/">Baltimore Abortion Fund</a> describes barriers that make accessing abortion difficult for women both within Maryland and outside. And we talk with <strong>Morgan Nuzzo, </strong>a nurse-midwife, who is co-founder of <a href="https://www.partnersinabortioncare.com/">Partners in Abortion Care</a>, due to open this fall in Prince George’s County. We ask what’s it’s like to <em>open </em>an abortion clinic when clinics across the country are closing.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here is a Stoop Story from<strong> Josh Kohn </strong>about keeping his promise to his mother.</p> <p>Need more Stoop? Check out the <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoop Storytelling website </a>and learn about live events and the Stoop podcast.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The exhibit, "<a href="https://americanhistory.si.edu/exhibitions/discovery-and-revelation">Discovery and Revelation</a>," at the Smithsonian examines three centuries of Americans’ evolving views on the relationship between faith and science.</p> <p><strong>Peter Manseau, </strong>who directs the museum’s Center for the Understanding of Religion in American History, talks about the artifacts displayed.</p> <p>One, a portrait of Henrietta Lacks--a Baltimore woman whose cancer cells were taken for research--depicts her as a religious icon. Manseau says the painting points to one of the exhibit’s themes: ‘What do we owe each other?’</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><strong>Kimi Yoshino</strong> had established an impressive career in journalism-- she was managing editor of the <em>Los Angeles Times -- </em>when business magnate Stewart Bainum asked her to leave all that to become editor-in-chief of the online news operation he was starting: <a href="https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/">The Baltimore Banner</a>.</p> <p>Yoshino says, "This for me was a chance to start fresh and to build the kind of newsroom that I wanted to work in, the kind of newsroom that I thought would serve a community, and a way to really make a difference."</p> <p>That newsroom she’s building, Yoshino said, is diverse but needs to be more so. Its sole focus is to cover the Baltimore region, with hard news that holds public officials accountable--but also arts, culture and personal insights.</p> <p>Check out Baltimore Magazine's coverage of the Banner's <a href="https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/community/baltimore-banner-will-rival-the-sun-can-it-prove-sustainable/">launch</a>. Or <a href="https://localnewsinitiative.northwestern.edu/posts/2022/03/23/baltimore-banner-launch/">this piece</a> by the Northwestern Medill Local News Initiative</p> <p>Learn about WYPR and the Baltimore Banner's <a href="https://www.wypr.org/2022-05-19/the-baltimore-banner-and-wypr-announce-partnership-to-strengthen-local-news-in-maryland">joint operating agreement</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>In Baltimore, a city besieged by gun violence, more than half of criminal firearms charges are dropped without a conviction, guilty plea or probation deal … and the public and police often don’t know why.</p> <p>That’s one of many things <strong>Ivan Bates</strong>--one of two lawyers challenging incumbent State’s attorney Marilyn Mosby--says he’d change if elected, "We’ll work with the police department - together, collaboratively - to look at the violent crimes, to look at the data, to look at the trends."</p> <p>We ask Bates his plan to reverse prosecutors leaving the office, to get drug users into treatment, and to deal with nonviolent crimes. Check out his <a href="https://www.batesforbaltimore.com/">campaign website</a>. Read his prosecution plan <a href="https://www.batesforbaltimore.com/ivansplan">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>What do you want the end of your life to look like?</p> <p>Physician <strong><a href="https://www.thebetterend.com/">Dan Morhaim </a></strong>says planning for the inevitable ensures you receive the treatment you’d like to have. His latest book, written with his wife, Shelley Morhaim, offers a guide to the legal, medical, and personal choices surrounding death. It's titled, <a href="https://www.theivybookshop.com/book/9781421439167">"Preparing for A Better End: Expert Lessons on Death and Dying for You and Your Loved Ones.</a>"</p> <p>Find <a href="https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/free-printable-advance-directives/">free advance directive forms</a> by state through the AARP.</p> <p>Then, <a href="SerenityRidgemd.com">Serenity Ridge Natural Burial Cemetery and Arboretum</a>, a green burial site planned for western Baltimore County, will offer an alternative to traditional cremation or internment practices. We speak with co-owner <strong>Dr. Howard Berg</strong>, and with <strong>Jennifer Downs</strong> of the nonprofit <a href="https://greenburialmaryland.org/">Green Burial Association of Maryland </a>about the growing popularity of natural burial.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Divorce is hard for adults. Children are <em>more </em>fragile. The <a href="https://www.nfrchelp.org/"><strong>National Family Resiliency Center</strong> </a>holds a special place to protect the mental and emotional well-being of kids, and works to keep whole families communicating and supportive through transitions.</p> <p>Executive Director <strong>Risa Garon</strong> describes how parents, lawyers, therapists and judges work together to make that happen.</p> <p>Then <strong>Meg Sreenivas</strong>, a client turned peer counselor, describes how, when she was 12 -year-old, adrift, the center made all the difference:</p> <p><strong>“</strong><em>The NFRC was really what showed me what divorce was in a non negative connotation. It was a really positive, sort of - this is what’s happening, how can we make it right for you as the kid and put you in the center in a positive way.”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.nfrchelp.org/">National Family Resiliency Center</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Many boys and young men are feeling stressed, even depressed--and detached from people around them. <strong><a href="https://www.andrewreinerauthor.com/">Andrew Reiner</a></strong> observes it in some of the classes he teaches at Towson University, and he spoke with scores of males of all ages as he researched his book, <em>Better Boys, Better Men.</em></p> <p>Reiner explains, “A lot of boys do not ask for help because they have been taught that message that if you’re going to be a competent, ascending man, you’ve got to learn to handle things on your own. And I heard that time, and time, and time again from the boys and young men that I interviewed.”</p> <p>Reiner sees a link between the man-up-and-zip-it approach and some violence in society. He argues teaching boys to pay attention to <em>all </em>their emotions would make them healthier men.</p> <p><strong>Links to Reiner's other writings and appearances:</strong><br><em>The Baltimore Sun:</em> <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/op-ed/bs-ed-op-0619-fathers-day-expectations-20220615-eiejzppv25gkzexllg4kkzxcne-story.html">"On Father’s Day, some dads just want to parent without the stereotypes"</a></p> <p>CNN: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2021/04/20/amanpour-mens-mental-health-andrew-reiner-michael-mccarthy.cnn">"A shadow pandemic in male suicide"</a></p> <p>NBC THINK: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/father-s-day-let-s-redefine-masculinity-so-dads-can-ncna1271343">"For Father's Day, let's redefine masculinity so dads can give boys what they need"</a></p> <p><em>The New York Times:</em> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/15/well/family/talking-to-boys-the-way-we-talk-to-girls.html">"Talking to Boys the Way We Talk to Girls"</a></p> <p><em>The New York Times:</em> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/03/well/mind/men-emotional-support-networks.html">"Building Emotional Safety Nets for Men"</a></p> <p>Nobody Told Me! Podcast: <a href="https://play.acast.com/s/nobody-told-me/cf8f98f0-359f-11eb-8668-6f6ff8610af4">"Andrew Reiner: ...it's important to ask for help"</a></p> <p>PBS NewsHour: <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/brief/376978/andrew-reiner">"A Brief But Spectacular take on being, and raising, better men"</a></p> <p><em>The Washington Post:</em> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/men-mental-health/2021/11/19/790aa0a8-3024-11ec-a1e5-07223c50280a_story.html">"For many men, apps can be ‘an important gateway to mental health’"</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here’s a Stoop Story from <strong>Elliot Wagenheim</strong> about his best moment as a father. You can hear more stories at <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoopstorytelling.com</a>.</p> <p>Lots of ways to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend! The fourth annual <a href="https://www.currentspace.com/">Skill Sharing Juneteenth event</a> will take place tomorrow, with music, food trucks, the Swoozy clothing swap and more! It will be at the Current Space, 421 North Howard St.</p> <p>From 1 to 6 p.m. tomorrow, MICA will host an <a href="https://bmoreart.com/event/natural-dye-initiative-community-juneteenth-indigo-talk-and-dye-workshop-with-kibibi-ajanku">Indigo Talk and Dye Workshop</a> as Kibibi Ajanku unveils the heritage and practice of West African dye traditions. It will be at MICA, 131 West North Street in Baltimore.</p> <p>On Sunday, the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-2022-historic-east-towson-juneteenth-music-festival-tickets-326503058437?aff=ebdssbeac">Historic East Towson Juneteenth Music Festival</a> will take place from 1-6 p.m. at the Elks Lodge on East Pennsylvania Ave. And especially for kids, on Sunday afternoon, the <a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/juneteenth-soulstock-celebration-tickets-347564042407">SoulStock and Culture Queen Juneteenth Jubilee</a> at Bliss Farms in east Baltimore.</p> <p>Link to <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=juneteenth+baltimore&rlz=1C1CAFC_enUS931US931&oq=juneteenth+baltimore&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i131i433i512j0i22i30l6j0i390l2.4430j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&ibp=htl;events&rciv=evn&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwismNip9az4AhVYl44IHWVJDI0Q5bwDegQICxAB#fpstate=tldetail&htidocid=L2F1dGhvcml0eS9ob3Jpem9uL2NsdXN0ZXJlZF9ldmVudC8yMDIyLTA2LTE5fDE5MzcxMDMyNzg5NDg5Mzk2Mw%3D%3D&htivrt=events&mid=/g/11syty664s&sxsrf=ALiCzsbuKjWdFRzPx-bxU-50pf6kFyTiBw:1655208811044">all Juneteenth listings in Baltimore.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The job of the State’s Attorney in Baltimore is to fight crime. We ask <a href="https://www.justiceforbaltimore.com/"><strong>Thiru Vignarajah</strong></a>, running in the Democratic primary against the same incumbent who soundly defeated him in 2018, about his plans to combat car jackings, dissolve open-air drug markets and quash violent crime. And why, over the course of four years, he’s run twice for this office and once for Mayor:</p> <p><em>“This city is in crisis. And to watch from the sidelines as your team is getting slaughtered is really hard. And whether it’s as the running back or the quarterback, I want to get on the field. So for those folks who think Thiru just wants to get back in the game, they are absolutely right.” </em></p> <p>Plus, why he says the staggering level of crime in Baltimore could be used to reverse the flow of city prosecutors heading out the door.</p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.justiceforbaltimore.com/">JusticeforBaltimore</a>, <a href="https://www.wypr.org/tags/mdelections2022">MDElections2022</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p><a href="https://rocainc.org/who-we-work-with/locations/roca-baltimore-location/">Roca</a>, the violence intervention program that fixates on young men in Baltimore, is grounded on cognitive behavioral change. That’s why, explains Roca’s community partnership director <strong>JT Timpson, </strong>its model is to relentlessly pursue young men at risk and build relationships with them -- which takes years. Then <strong>Betsy Tolentino</strong> of the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, tells why case workers throughout the state are being trained in Roca’s model and how it's meeting success. Learn more about the Roca's REWIRE CBT training <a href="https://rocainc.org/the-roca-impact-institute/rewire-by-roca/">here</a>.<em>Original air date: April 13, 2022.</em></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Today we Pass the Mic to LGBTQ advocate and educator <strong>Jabari Lyles</strong>. His guest -- <strong>Londyn Smith de Richelieu</strong>, Baltimore City’s new Director of LGBTQ Affairs-- talks about the need to change the culture and attitude toward trans folks from within City Hall.</p> <p>Then Lyles is joined by<strong> Legacy Forte</strong>, head of BMORE BLXCK , talking about resources they provide for Black trans youth and <strong>Toby</strong>, a trans tenth-grader at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, on the message he picks up from youth-centered anti-trans legislation across the US:</p> <p>“They want to send the message to younger people because they want to tell them when they’re young: your existence is wrong. You shouldn’t feel safe in your existence. You shouldn’t feel ok with your existence.”</p> <p>Links: <a href="https://mayor.baltimorecity.gov/bc/boards/baltimore-city-lgbtq-commission">Baltimore Office of LGBTQ Affairs</a>, <a href="https://linktr.ee/BmoreBlxck">BMORE BLXCK</a>, <a href="https://transmaryland.org/resources">Trans Maryland resources</a>, <a href="http://www.glccb.org/programs/lgbtqa-youth/">The PRIDE Center of Maryland.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>In <a href="https://rericthomas.com/"><strong>R. Eric Thomas’</strong></a> new young adult novel, “Kings of B’more,” two teens embark on an epic adventure across the city. Harrison and Linus are both Black, both gay, and both worried about what the future holds. What should they do after high school? Will they stay best friends after Linus moves away?</p> <p>Thomas wrote characters who are affectionate, who see the beauty in each other. He says that tenderness is missing from the genre. We ask about his inspiration and about depicting queer stories beyond coming out. </p> <p>Thomas will be speaking Tuesday, June 14, at the Ivy Bookshop. Event details <a href="https://www.theivybookshop.com/upcomingevent/29854">here</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The IN Series opera-theater company’s <em>Othello </em>challenges the drama’s racial undertones. Weaving in jazz and politically-charged artwork, it transports audiences beyond the <em>typical </em>Verdi opera.</p> <p>Artistic director <strong>Timothy Nelson </strong>describes the evolution of the show, and tenor <strong>Walker J. Jackson </strong>says he wants audiences … to see beyond Othello as a brute force with a monstrous mind. He hopes to convey the nuance of the character:</p> <p><em>“I want people to really see the humanity of this character. And I think there are parts of his character that every human being can identify with. Being a human being who’s just trying to live life, trying to find acceptance, and trying to make sense of everything that’s happened to him."</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.theatreproject.org/">Othello </a>at Baltimore Theater Project, <a href="https://www.inseries.org/about-us">IN Series Opera Theater Company</a>.</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>Here's a Stoop Story from <strong>Lisa Snowden</strong>, editor in chief of the soon-to-relaunch <em>Baltimore Beat</em>. She talked about the power of journalism and telling authentic stories. You can hear hers and other stories at <a href="https://stoopstorytelling.com/">Stoopstorytelling.com</a> .</p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>The job of Maryland comptroller, the chief financial officer, is open for the first time in decades. Two Democrats and a Republican are running. The comptroller collects taxes and oversees how money is spent. <strong>Democrat Brooke Lierman</strong>, who now represents south Baltimore in the House of Delegates, argues the comptroller should also assess how the state is addressing climate change … and help Marylanders connect to high-speed internet. </p> <p>The comptroller casts one of the three votes on the mighty Board of Public Works. If elected, Lierman says, that would be mandate:  </p> <p><em>“To be the people’s advocate, to be an independent voice and to ensure that we’re using the power of the purse in Maryland to help grow generational wealth and also build out for generations to come.”</em></p> <p>Links: <a href="https://www.brookelierman.com/policy-agenda/">Brooke Lierman for Maryland Comptroller</a>, <a href="https://www.wypr.org/tags/mdelections2022">MD Elections 2022</a>, <a href="https://elections.maryland.gov/voting/early_voting.html">early voting information</a>, <a href="https://elections.maryland.gov/voter_registration/index.html">voter registration info.</a></p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>

<p>When the Shriver Hall Concert Series, Carnegie Hall and others asked Morgan State Professor <strong><a href="https://www.jameslee3music.com/">James Lee III</a> </strong>to compose a new work, he thought of the 19th-century African-American writer Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, who struggled for racial and gender equity; he chose her poem, <em>A Double Standard. </em></p> <p>On Juneteenth, soprano <a href="https://www.sopranokarenslack.com/"><strong>Karen Slack</strong></a> will sing Lee’s new music in its <a href="https://www.shriverconcerts.org/concert/pacifica-string-quartet-karen-slack-soprano/index.php">Baltimore premiere</a>. She says of the poem, “With all of the various movements, and, you know, MeToo, and all of these things, we’re in this time right now. The poem is not outdated whatsoever in how women are always trying to push the boundaries of sexism.”<strong> </strong></p> <p>Plus, <strong>Clay Washington</strong>, the president of the <a href="https://kennardheritage.com/about-kaachc/">Kennard Alumni Association</a>, recounts the roots of the Kennard African-American Cultural Heritage Center in Queen Anne’s County, and its <a href="https://kennardheritage.com/juneteenth-celebration/">Juneteenth festival on Saturday, June 11th</a>. Additionally, on Sunday, June 19th, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture will celebrate traditional Juneteenth and Father’s Day with <a href="https://www.lewismuseum.org/event/juneteenth-celebration-education-as-liberation-in-person/">free admission and special events</a>. </p><p>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 [email protected] 410-235-1903 Senior Producer, Melissa Gerr she/her/hers [email protected] 410-235-1157 Producer Sam Bermas-Dawes he/him/his [email protected] 410-235-1472</p>