The Baltimore Regional Water Governance Task Force may be the most consequential governmental work group you have never heard of.

The group was created through by Maryland General Assembly legislation earlier this year to recommend alternative governance models for Baltimore city’s gigantic water and sewage system.

Last Friday, consultants hired to work with the task force released a draft report of recommendations outlining possible paths forward.

Public comments on the draft report of recommendations are welcome until Friday, January 5, 2024. More information can be found at the county and city websites devoted to the task force.

The report will be reviewed at the task force’s meeting on Jan. 8th before final recommendations are to be made at the end of January to Gov. Wes Moore, the State General Assembly, Mayor Brandon Scott, County Executive Johnny Olszewski and other officials.

Bill Henry, Baltimore city’s Comptroller, chairs the task force. He joined to discuss the draft and what comes next.

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

Looking for a last-minute gift? How about a book?

Baltimore County librarian Conni Strittmatter shares her suggestions for children and teens, including a sci-fi space drama. Then, Meghan McCorkell of the Enoch Pratt Free Library offers popular picks for adult readers, such as a thriller set in a gothic mansion and a cocktail recipe book!  

Books for kids:
"Something, Someday," by Amanda Gorman
"Dino-Hanukkah," by Lisa Wheeler
"How Does Santa Go Down the Chimney?" by Mac Barnett
"The Story of Gumluck the Wizard," by Adam Rex
"Dogtown," by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko
"Merry Christmas, Anna Hibiscus!" by Atinuke
"The Lost Library," by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
"Max Fernsby and the Infinite Toys," by Gerry Swallow
"Winter Crafts Across Cultures: 12 Projects to Celebrate the Season," by Megan Borgert-Spaniol
"Love in Winter Wonderland," by Abiola Bello
"Star Splitter," by Matthew Kirby

Books for adults:
“Let Us Descend,” by Jesmyn Ward
"Lessons in Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus
"Iron Flame," by Rebecca Yarros
“Day,” by Michael Cunningham
“There Should Have Been Eight," Nalini Singh
"Juke Joints, Jazz Clubs, and Juice: A Cocktail Recipe Book," by Toni Tipton Martin
“13-23," by J.M. Giordano
“My Name is Barbra," by Barbra Streisand
“Spare,” by Prince Harry,  Duke of Sussex
“The Way Forward," by Yung Pueblo
"Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger and Higher Education," by Stephanie Land

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

Weavers, jewelers, paper-makers, leather workers, candlemakers, cooks, bakers and more--an array of Maryland makers now fill the shelves of the new store by ‘Shop Made in Maryland.’ We talk to Co-Founder and Chief Localist Stacey Price and Tiera Chin, the owner of Yorktown Spice.

Links: Shop Made in Maryland, Made in Baltimore, Yorktown Spice.

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 Judith Pojda about following your instincts … and being brave enough to see where that takes you. 

Hear her story and others, and find the Stoop Podcast at Stoopstorytelling.com

Do you have a question or comment about a show or a story idea to pitch? Contact On the Record at: Senior Supervising 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

Where is your favorite place to eat out in Baltimore? The city hosts a food scene as multifaceted and charming as the city itself.

Matti Gellman writes about food and the restaurant industry for our news partner, The Baltimore Banner. But she reports on more than what's on your plate. Gellman's interests include the area's growing food deserts and barriers to food security.

Her perspective is a bit different than many other food writers—in 2021 she learned she had Celiac Disease. The autoimmune disease imposes strict eating habits and affects 2 to 3 million Americans.

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

Wherever you are, whoever you’re with, the winter holiday season often augurs a refreshing drink in hand. But alcohol is not an indispensable ingredient for a good time.

Many Americans, around 1 in 3 according to Gallup polling, totally abstain from alcohol.

So what are your options if you are looking for something to drink that is more sophisticated than a soda but less potent than the holiday eggnog.

We ask Darryl Collins, owner of Hopscotch Zero-Proof Bottle Shop in Fells Point.

Collins was profiled by Phillip Muriel in the Baltimore Beat in November. His store sells non-alcoholic beverages of all shapes and sizes.

Later in the show, Joey Breeden and Rani Singh join us in-studio to mix mocktails. The pair are general managers with the Alfred Restaurant Group, which oversees Osteria Pirata, Anchor Tavern and Duck Duck Goose in Fells Point.

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

Law-enforcement agencies, including those in Maryland, are making more use of facial recognition technology. This software attempts to identify human faces by matching images or video from surveillance cameras to massive databases of pictures.

Proponents say it’s an important tool to keep the public safe. Privacy advocates say it’s a dangerous tool, far too likely to misidentify people. Some point to the experience of a Baltimore County man launched into a harrowing ordeal when police used facial recognition technology.

We talk with Eyal Press, who went deep into what happened in the pages of the The New Yorker.

Later in the show, we talk to a critic of facial recognition technology, Samantha Masters. She is with Organizing Black, a community organizing group in Baltimore city.

Photo by Jonathan McIntosh, via Flickr.

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

Can Maryland cut greenhouse gasses more than half by 2031?  Jamie DeMarco, Maryland director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, tells us why they, and 40 other businesses and organizations want Gov. Moore to "Get it Done by '31."

Links: CCAN letter to Gov. Wes Moore, Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

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

At the COP 28 UN Climate Change conference in Dubai--the final hours of talks. Gina Castillo, Climate Policy and Research Advisor for Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services was in attendance, along with her colleague Nikki Gamer, Senior Public Affairs Manager for CRS. They give us an update.

Links: UN COP28.

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

Last year’s New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen Supreme Court decision forces some states to remove concealed carry permitting requirements. A recent study used modeling to analyze the consequences. We speak with Daniel Webster, Bloomberg Professor of American Health and Distinguished Research Scholar at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Bloomberg School.

Links:
Study Finds That Dropping Training Requirement to Obtain Concealed Carry Permit Leads to Significant Increase in Gun Assaults
Evidence concerning the regulation of firearms design, sale, and carrying on fatal mass shootings in the United States
Officer‑Involved Shootings and Concealed Carry Weapons Permitting Laws: Analysis of Gun Violence Archive Data, 2014–2020
Impact of Changes to Concealed-Carry Weapons Laws on Fatal and Nonfatal Violent Crime, 1980-2019

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