WYPR Podcast

Baltimore County’s top watchdog is getting more support amid scrutiny from the county council. We’ll take a deep dive into the job of the county’s inspector general’s office. As students return to school in the coming weeks there might not be enough teachers in the classroom so schools are looking to recruit thousands of substitutes. Baltimore prosecutor Marilyn Mosby faces a $1,500 fine after a judge ruled she violated a gag order and a new look is on the way for downtown Essex.

Surges of COVID19 continue across the US and the BA.5 variant remains the driving factor. Maryland universities examine what their COVID protocols will or won’t be in the fall. Anne Arundel County has a new Superintendent of Public Schools and he’s tackling the mammoth task of filling vacancies and a federal court has ruled in a discrimination case against Baltimore’s Catholic Relief Services.

The family of Anton Black has reached a five million dollar settlement in his police custody death lawsuit that continues. A child playing with a loaded gun led to the tragic death of a 15-year old in Baltimore. City School officials plan to spend 25-million dollars on a tutoring program to help offset summer and remote learning loss. Maryland’s COVID positivity rate still hovers over 12-percent and a report from Annie E. Casey Foundation takes a deep national dive into the mental health of young people.

More than 14-million dollars in ARPA funds will go toward an initiative to help clean up Baltimore neighborhoods. Baltimore County school officials are hoping a new app will help ease the chaos created by the continuing school bus driver shortage. Parents have been notified that the free meal program in Baltimore County Public Schools is ending. A summer youth initiative is giving some inner-city students a taste of the aviation field and a plan by the The U.S. Naval Academy for a golf course across the Severn River is drawing criticism from some environmentalists.

Maryland health officials say they will press for more monkeypox vaccines, but for now will keep the limited supply for those most in need. The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate is now above 12-percent. Baltimore’s Mayor outlined his violence prevention plan for residents who participated in National Night Out. An indictment on a first degree murder charge means a 15-year old squeegee worker’s case will remain in adult court, for now. I’ll have those headlines and more,plus a look at the economic and social cost of those incarcerated in Maryland’s state prison.

State health officials say the new COVID-19 vaccine is here. Two more primary races in Maryland are now settled. Baltimore’s mayor says he’s ashamed, following another violent crime weekend in the city and we’ll hear from Baltimore’s new deputy mayor for public safety on how he’ll work with the city’s leaders to restore Baltimore to a place he’s always loved.

We’re far from the November general election, but Baltimore City already has a new top prosecutor. Baltimore County’s incumbent State’s Attorney appears to have fended off his Democratic primary challenger. The race for Anne Arundel’s county executive in the Republican primary still hasn’t been called as elections officials were still counting ballots. Police in Middle River tried to calm nerves at a community meeting last night over a shooting involving a major drug dealer. Baltimore’s Health Commissioner defends the city’s Monkeypox vaccine supply and a new regional hotline aims to help those experiencing a mental health crisis.

State health officials say Maryland’s COVID positivity rate remains dismal. Baltimore’s Health Commissioner defends the city’s handling of the Monkeypox vaccine. The City Council held a hearing today on what to do about the number of squeegee workers at busy intersections. Two races still undecided in Baltimore County’s democratic primary. We’ll have those headlines and more, plus climate change and environmental equity in Black and brown communities.

Baltimore has a new democratic nominee for City State’s attorney who also promised to crack down on violent crime. Violence over the weekend pushed Baltimore to another grim milestone in its homicide rate. Two settled, one to go in Baltimore County’s three democratic primary races. Wes Moore, Maryland’s democratic nominee for Governor says voters have a choice between “unity” and “division.” Governor Larry Hogan says Trump backed nominee Dan Cox does not stand a chance in the general election. And Maryland’s COVID positivity rate continues to climb amidst the looming BA.5 variant and concerns about the spread of Monkeypox. I have a conversation with an epidemiologist who breaks down the latest.

Well the sun has set on night three after Maryland’s primary and many races are still up in the air but several news outlets are projecting non-profit exec and Rhodes Scholar, Wes Moore as the winner of the Democratic contest, but that’s not official. Elections boards across Maryland are busily counting hundreds of thousands of mail-in ballots received, so it'll be a few more days, at least before final outcomes are known. Maryland’s GOP establishment is left wondering what to make of Dan Cox’s near certain primary victory. If you didn’t notice, there’s a heat wave gripping Maryland and much of the country. Some city parents are already turning their attention to the upcoming school year and the headaches they’ll face with new start times and we’ll get a check in with Dr. Leana Wen on Monkey Pox and the BA.5 COVID variant.