Nearly 40,000 U.S. veterans are homeless, and within that group, the number of homeless female veterans is growing fastest. In many cases they are women with children. We talk with Veterans Affairs social workers Christopher Buser and Jackie Adams to learn how the VA is attacking the homeless vet problem in Maryland. First Major Jaspen Boothe, founder of Final Salute, Inc., and The Miss Veteran America competition, tells us why she’s dedicated to raising awareness about women vets who are homeless … and filling the gap of support available to them.

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

One-on-one coaching, identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses, providing extra time to review skills. These are some of the tactics that Lakeland Elementary Middle School is employing, with help from University of Maryland-Baltimore County, to boost students’ math skills. We hear about this partnership from Lakeland Principal Najib Jammal, math teacher Katie Poist, and the assistant director of the UMBC Sherman STEM Teacher Scholars, Joshua Michael.

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

Maryland has taken the EPA to court for failing to require power plants in five nearby states to control the air pollution they emit. Smog caused by these power plants is harmful to both public health and waterways. We discuss the lawsuit with Alison Prost, Maryland executive director for the nonprofit Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

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

Baltimore is home to one of the country’s largest Jewish communities, and beginning tonight they’ll observe Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the Jewish year. So today we look inside Baltimore’s Orthodox Jewish community, through the words of author Eli W. Schlossberg. He talks about his new book, “My Shtetl Baltimore, Stories and Recollections by a Native Son,---- a compilation of anecdotes about a lifetime in 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, 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

Here’s a Stoop story from the indie-mom of comedy, MEshelle, about her childhood move to a Jewish neighborhood and the cultural exchanges that ensued. You can hear her story and 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 [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

Caring for patients with memory loss or dementia can be challenging for even the most attentive, well-meaning caregiver. We meet Jay Newton-Small, a journalist whose new business aims to improve the lives of seniors with a new online resource called MemoryWell; in it, writers tell the stories of those who can’t tell their own. We also hear from Bertina Hanna, head of a caregiving team that uses MemoryWell, about the impact it can have on working with patients.

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

In January, Howard County unveiled a building unlike any other in the state. The brand new Wilde Lake Middle School is Maryland’s first net-zero energy school: over the course of a year, it produces as much energy as it uses. The Director of School Construction for Howard County Public School System, Scott Washington, tells us about the school’s solar and geothermal systems and how its design anticipates energy usage.Check out these videos of the school's construction.

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

In most states you can add beer or wine to your grocery list, and buy it when you pick up milk, bread and eggs. In Maryland, for the most part, you can’t--for decades only liquor stores can sell beer and wine. Some people argue that changing that would save customers money; others contend it would hurt small businesses. We talk with Adam Borden, president of “Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws,” about the roots of the law -- dating back to prohibition -- and how the laws might change.

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

For five years the nonprofit ‘Reading Partners’ has collaborated with low-income schools in Baltimore, pairing students who struggle to read with a community volunteer. This week those Reading Partners are back in schools, aiming to serve 900 students with the aid of 1100 tutors.Today we’ll hear from executive director Jeffrey Zwillingberg about the project’s curriculum, and from returning volunteer Robin Kessler. Plus, Principal Najib Jammal of Lakeland Elementary Middle School describes how the benefits of one-on-one coaching extend beyond literacy.

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

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 comics about the character Hawkeye, who like Prachi, is deaf. Read Prachi's blog post about comic books 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 [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