Roughly Speaking

In the ninth episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about the House of Delegates' censure of Harford County Del. Mary Ann Lisanti after she apologized for using a racist slur. They also check in on important bills moving through the General Assembly, including two that affect the future of horse-racing in Maryland. The show's guest is Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, who talks about how the GOP needs to move beyond the ----hardcore right.---- Sun reporters Pamela Wood and Kevin Rector provide insight and analysis.----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Related links:Maryland delegate says she won't resign after House censures her for 'racist and hateful slur'https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-lisanti-censure-20190228-story.htmlAs Pimlico faded, its owners

Gazze is one of the Baltimore area's oldest party bands, going back to teen dances in the 1970s. In fact, if you attended a wedding, bah mitzvah, dance, bull roast, crab feast or fundraiser over the last 47 years, there’s a good chance the music at that event came from Gazze -- a cover band with a brass section and a talented lead singer and dancer, Dwight Weems, the last of the founding members.In this episode: Can a group that played other people’s music for 40-plus years come up with its own? Gazze has done it, recording an album of 11 original songs at Invisible Sound Studio before it closed for good last year. On the show: Dwight Weems and four members of the current Gazze -- vocalists Shannon Ramsey and Dana Satisky, guitarist Dave Leoni and keyboard man Marty Cannelli. The conversation was recorded at Stages Music Arts in Hunt Valley. Gazze's album, Building 46, is available online.

Sun investigation into sexual assault waivers gets results; the debate over gender neutral driver's licenses; and an interview with Sen. Stephen Hershey: In the eighth episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about what it's like being a State House reporter and spotlight some of the key debates in the Maryland General Assembly, including whether to add a non-binary gender classification on drivers' licenses. The show's guest is State Sen. Stephen Hershey, an Eastern Shore Republican, who is minority whip. Sun State House reporter Pamela Wood provides analysis.Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Related links:Anne Arundel County police to stop asking sex assault victims to waive rights to investigationhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-md-sexual-a

Over dinner at Gertrude's in Baltimore, film critics Linda DeLibero and Christopher Llewellyn Reed talk about the 2019 Oscars and four great movies you probably won't hear much about during Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony. Take notes in case you missed them: ----If Beale Street Could Talk,---- and ----First Reformed,---- both victims of major Oscar snubs, and two foreign-language films: ----Shoplifters,---- and ----Capernaum.---- Linda and Chris handicap the major Oscar categories for us, and they debate the merits of Alfonso Cuaron's ----Roma,---- currently considered the frontrunner for Best Picture. Linda DeLibero directs film and media studies at Johns Hopkins University. Chris Reed is professor and chair of the department of film and moving image at Stevenson University.

Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer go in-depth on the Goucher Poll results on the key issues facing Marylanders, including whether to raise the minimum wage, legalize marijuana and ban tobacco for people younger than 21. The show's special guest is District 11 state Del. Shelly Hettleman, a Baltimore County Democrat who speaks about her work to expand testing of rape kits and other issues. Sun State House reporter Pamela Wood and breaking news reporter Sarah Meehan also join the discussion.“Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Related links:Goucher Poll: Legalizing pot, raising minimum wage, banning plastic foam products popular in Marylandhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-goucher-policy-poll-20190215-story.htmlMaryland lawmakers consider raising the age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21https://www.baltimoresu

In the sixth episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer discuss the heated debate over the General Assembly's push to overturn Gov. Larry Hogan's order that public schools may not start classes until after Labor Day, before interviewing District 13 state Del. Vanessa Atterbeary, a Howard County Democrat and vice chairwoman of the Judiciary Committee. After extolling the diversity of her district, Atterbeary shares her reaction to the unfolding scandal in Virginia, and describes the racism she says she witnessed in the state as an undergraduate. Sun State House reporter Pamela Wood and Opinion Page editor Andy Green also stop by.----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Links:Maryland Gov. Hogan fights back against lawmakers over post-Labor Day school year starthttps://www.baltimore

In this episode: A look back to 1896 and a landmark Supreme Court decision that is considered one of the worst in the court's history. In Plessy v. Ferguson, the court upheld a Louisiana law that required racial separation on passenger trains. The decision preserved and furthered segregation (----separate but equal----) throughout the nation well into the 20th Century. Guest: Baltimore-based journalist and author Steve Luxenberg, a former Sun reporter and editor, and senior editor at The Washington Post. His new book, being published this week, is “Separate: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation.” On Wednesday at 7 p.m., Steve Luxenberg will be in conversation with Judge Robert M. Bell, former chief judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, at the Church of the Redeemer, 5603 N. Charles Street. The Ivy Bookshop will have copies of the book for sale at a signing following the program.

Hogan's ----State of the State,---- gun laws and Sen. Justin Ready: In the fifth episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about tax cuts, gun laws and Gov. Hogan's ----State of the State---- speech, before interviewing State Sen. Justin Ready, a Carroll County Republican. Sun reporters Pamela Wood and Doug Donovan join the discussion.----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Links:Gov. Hogan calls for targeted tax cuts, school oversight and tougher sentencing in 'State of the State' speechhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-state-20190130-story.htmlFact check: Filling in the details on Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's rosy view of bipartisan state leadershiphttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-facts-20190130-story.htmlMarylan

In the fourth episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about criminal justice issues affecting Maryland, including the Anton Black case and a proposed police force for Johns Hopkins University, before interviewing State Sen. Jill P. Carter, a Baltimore Democrat who is the former director of Baltimore's Office of Civil Rights. Sun reporters Pamela Wood and Talia Richman join the discussion.Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Links:https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-anton-black-greensboro-20190124-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-bloomberg-hopkins-police-20190122-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-ci-carter-letter-20181018-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hous

Baltimore's long-standing problem with thousands of abandoned houses and blighted communities is gradually being addressed -- with state funds for demolition and initiatives by the city to raise funds for affordable housing and new development in previously overlooked neighborhoods. One of the key organizations on the affordable-housing front is Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. Since it came on the scene in the 1980s, Habitat Chesapeake has built or restored about 750 homes in the city, Baltimore County, Howard County and Anne Arundel County.On this show: A catch-up conversation and ride-along with Mike Posko, CEO of Habitat Chesapeake, about the non-profit's building projects and its HabiCorps skills-training program.We visit two neighborhoods where Habitat has completed projects -- Woodbourne-McCabe in north Baltimore, and Orchard Ridge in the northeastern part of the city.

Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about Gov. Larry Hogan's inauguration, budget and whether ----Hogan 2020---- is real, before interviewing District 20 State Sen. William C. Smith Jr., a Montgomery County Democrat who is chairman of the Veterans Caucus. Sun reporters Pamela Wood and Liz Bowie join the discussion.Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Links:https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-inauguration-20190116-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-niskanen-20190117-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-budget-takeaways-20190118-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-hogan-budget-preview-20190117-story.htmlhttps://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/education/bs-md-kirwan-report-20190118-story.html

In the second episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about Maryland Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller's cancer diagnosis and other issues before interviewing State Del. Kathy Szeliga, a Baltimore County Republican who was the target of what prosecutors say was an illegal robocall. Sun reporter Pamela Wood joins the discussion, and we hear some of Miller's best zingers from the General Assembly floor against Comptroller Peter Franchot.Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.

Even as the Trump administration drastically curtails the nation's refugee resettlement program -- in the midst of the worst global refugee crisis in history -- Atwater's, the local restaurant group, has been putting refugees to work baking cookies and making soup. Working with the International Rescue Committee in Baltimore, Atwater's has provided jobs at its central ----Big Kitchen---- in Morrell Park and at two of its six locations for 11 refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Central African Republic and other nations. In this episode, we hear from Ned Atwater, the founder and owner of Atwater's Traditional Food; David Miliband, president of the International Rescue Committee, and Mary Ricchezza, employment specialist with the IRC in Baltimore.

In the first episode of ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition,---- Baltimore Sun reporter Luke Broadwater and Goucher College pollster Dr. Mileah Kromer talk about the results of the recent Gonzales poll before interviewing District 43 State Sen. Mary Washington and District 40 Del. Nick Mosby about their new legislation concerning exorbitant water bills and other issues affecting their Baltimore districts. ----Roughly Speaking: Government Edition---- is a partnership between the Baltimore Sun and Goucher College that will run during the 90-day Maryland General Assembly session.Links:https://www.baltimoresun.com/bal-luke-broadwater-20141007-staff.htmlhttps://www.goucher.edu/learn/academic-centers/people-politics-and-markets/faculty/mileah-kromerhttp://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=sponpage----tab=subject6----id=washington----stab=01http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmMain.aspx?pid=sponpage----tab=subject6----id=mosby01----stab=01https://baltsun.carto.com/builder/3af4ef26-96cd-4897-929a-9bd67

In this year-in-review episode of the Roughly Speaking podcast, our last of 2018, columnist Dan Rodricks speaks with Triffon G. ----Trif---- Alatzas, the publisher and editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Sun Media Group, about the mass shooting at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis and its aftermath. Alatzas talks about the day of the horror, the response of police, the community and other news organizations, and how the Capital recovered from the loss of four veteran journalists -- Wendi Winters, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen -- and advertising assistant Rebecca Smith. Alatzas also talks about the move of the Sun's operations out of its long-time Calvert Street headquarters to Sun Park in Port Covington.

Dan chats with Baltimore Sun reporter Christina Tkacik about her ----good news---- story in the annual year-in-review package.

How a huge media merger, primed for approval by the Federal Communications Commission and its Republican chairman, went wrong. Just a few months ago, Sinclair Broadcast Group, based in Hunt Valley, appeared ready to close a $3.9 billion deal for Tribune Media that would make Sinclair the most powerful broadcast group in the nation with more than 200 stations, a presence in New York and Los Angeles and a challenge to FOX News in the conservative media arena. But first the Sinclair-Tribune deal hit snags, then collapsed — even though the Trump administration supported the merger and the FCC chairman favored consolidation. In August, Tribune ended up suing Sinclair for $1 billion for breach of contract.On the show: Sun media critic David Zurawik elaborates on his review of Sinclair's year on the Z on TV blog, and in print this weekend.

Arrested 40 years ago at age 16 in the murder of a promising Johns Hopkins medical student, James Featherstone received a life sentence for his conviction. If not for a major ruling by the Maryland Court of Appeals – known as the Unger ruling – Featherstone believes he would have died in prison. Since his unexpected release in 2014, he's managed to find work, but not the full-time job he seeks. He's been speaking to boys and young men in trouble with the law, hoping to save them from lives of crime and failure. And he's made friends with Carol Classen, the woman who was engaged to marry the man Featherstone was convicted of killing.In 1979, his first year as a columnist for The Baltimore Evening Sun, Dan Rodricks covered Featherstone's trial. Four years ago, he wrote about his release. And now, for this episode of Roughly Speaking, he visits him at his rowhouse in northeast Baltimore.

In the 19th Century, the Chesapeake Bay became a battleground over oysters as watermen from New England and New York invaded local waters to harvest the valuable shellfish for a growing international market. Maryland watermen picked up guns to fight off the dredge boats from up north, prompting the Maryland General Assembly to establish an Oyster Navy to try and keep the piece. But many men died in the long war, says Greg Bartles, historian of the Maryland Natural Resources Police, the forerunner of the oyster police.

Randall Gornowich, the Baltimore artist who created the famous 30-foot pink flamingo perched above Cafe Hon in Hampden, plans to enhance his creation with a big, green homage to the bird's ancient ancestor. Listen to this episode of Roughly Speaking to understand why there's a T-Rex lurking behind the flamingo when you visit Hampden for the holidays.