WYPR Podcast

Well folks, it’s the day after the primary, but despite a low voter turnout there were some big surprises… and some cliffhangers even in big races that may not be decided for another week or so. In this special election edition…we’ll have a roundup from our reporters of what happened and what’s next.

Primary day in Maryland is upon us! But between redistricting, the delayed elections, and a late counting of mail-in ballots, elections officials warn we may not know the winners in tomorrow’s key races for a while. Baltimore’s incumbent State’s Attorney says she is the right person for reducing the city’s violent homicide rate…despite facing a federal trial on perjury charges. Maryland’s COVID positivity rate is continuing with grim numbers. A 15-year old city squeegee worker has been denied bail and we’ll get out on the Chesapeake Bay where our oyster population is making a comeback.

The DOJ has opened an investigation into the Maryland State Police over allegations of racial discrimination in its hiring and promotion policies. An arrest made this week in a homicide involving a motorist and a squeegee worker in Baltimore…The attorney for the 15 year old says it was in self-defense. The widows of two Baltimore firefighters gave emotional testimony at a city council public hearing on what to do with the city’s abandoned dwellings. An audit of Maryland’s Social Services agency finds kids in foster care are not getting all the care they need. We’ll have all those stories plus…Midges! What they do and why they are hurting some eastern Baltimore County businesses.

In Maryland, the number of COVID hospitalizations are down, but only slightly, and the CDC warns of a new fast spreading variant. A city council meeting this week brought heated discussion about Baltimore’s squeegee workers and a recent homicide and Mayor Brandon Scott says while violence and harassment can not be tolerated, there can’t be a one-step solution to clear the city of panhandlers.

Maryland’s COVID positivity rate remains above nine-percent. Testing for monkeypox began today at Mayo Clinic laboratories. Early voting underway in Maryland is so far…underwhelming. And, what are called the “lungs” of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay get a close examination by Smithsonian researchers.

City officials speak out on yesterday’s shooting in downtown Baltimore that left one man dead. COVID 19 cases are still on an uptick. The latest on Baltimore County School’s chief auditor and will a soccer stadium be in Baltimore’s future?

Maryland’s COVID positivity rate is back on a high, a dismal look for where Baltimore’s homicide number is heading..Baltimore’s school chief is being celebrated while at the same time her office faces a lawsuit. In Baltimore County, the school’s chief auditor has a lawsuit of her own. What inspired a 17 yr old in Howard County to run in an election and we’ll tell you about a summer program designed to teach area youth life and work skills.

Baltimore Raven’s linebacker Jaylen Ferguson’s death was the result of illicit drugs according to the state’s medical examiner. Maryland public schools must stop using restraints and seclusion to manage students’ unwanted behavior. One Maryland gubernatorial candidate gets a surprise endorsement from a local leader. According to a WYPR election poll with Goucher College and The Baltimore Banner, republicans and democrats are concerned about election integrity, but their reasons differ. And our education reporter tells us what some Maryland colleges hope to gain by getting rid of the SAT and ACT tests.

Early voting begins next week in Maryland. With less than three weeks to go before our primary election, the races to be the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor are tight according to a new poll by WYPR and The Baltimore Banner. Education and democracy are also on the minds of voters. Maryland is in dire need of election judges and is offering incentives to state employees who sign up. And Baltimore police have made an arrest of a suspect in a traffic stop that has left an officer in critical condition.

If gas prices are not already high enough, Marylanders are about to pay more as the state’s gas tax takes effect this week. The state’s COVID positivity rate remains below eight percent. More state lawmakers react to the Supreme Court’s decision to kill Roe. V. Wade. And we’ll catch you up on the latest news source in town collaborating… with us.