October 2008

After more than a dozen years of debate, the issue of whether or not slot machine gambling has a place in Maryland  is about to be determined.

On Tuesday, voters will make the decision.  Will the Maryland constitution be amended in order to allow 15,000 slot machines to come to five difference locations?

Advocates for both sides made their final pitch.

This hour we're focusing on the history of civil rights in Maryland with Fraser Smith, author of Here Lies Jim Crow: Civil Rights in Maryland.  Fraser is also the author of a weekly column in the Baltimore Sun and the senior news analyst for public radio station WYPR.

First, we'll check in with Mike Tidwell, founder and executive director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, an environmental advocacy organization.  Mike and another member of CCAN recently learned that the Maryland State Police had listed them as terrorists and were spying on them, along with over 50 other peaceful activists around the state.

First today, we're joined by Glenn Greenwald, the author of Great American Hypocrites: Toppling The Big Myths of Republican Politics.  Glenn is also a former constitutional law attorney and contributing writer at Salon.  Read his columns here.

Then, we'll look at the case of Troy Davis, an inmate on death row in Georgia, charged with the 1989 killing of police officer Mark Allen MacPhail. Troy is scheduled to be executed on October 27th, despite doubts that exist regarding his guilt.

We have two guests for this discussion.  One is Martina Correia, Troy Davis' sister, who is also the National Steering Committee Chair for Amnesty International USA's Program to Abolish the Death Penalty and Amnesty International's State Death Penalty Abolitionist Coordinator in Georgia.  The other is Deirdre O'Connor, Professor at Emory Law School and Director of Innocence Matters.

The radio series This I Believe began in the 1950's. Created by Edward R. Murrow, the series examined the beliefs that sustained the most ordinary and extraordinary of Americans.

The series was revived in 2005 and is now heard on several public radio programs including Tell Me More, All Things Considered, and Morning Edition.

First, Slate.com "Moneybox" columnist Daniel Gross dispels the notion that poor minority homeowners and their mortgages are responsible for the financial crisis.

Next, film restoration expert Robert Harris discusses his work on The Godfather Parts I & II, currently showing at the Senator Theater in Baltimore.  Senator owner Tom Kiefarber joins the conversation, as well.

Finally, join us for a trip to the American Visionary Art Museum to see the new exhibit, and to meet featured artist Kenny Irwin, Jr. (pictured above)

Police are hoping for help from the community to solve the murder of former Baltimore City Councilman Ken Harris.  Last week, police released video of the suspects and asked the community to come forward with any information.

Some economists argue that changes in the stock market aren't a good indicator of Main Street's economic reality. But it certainly demonstrates that Americans aren't feeling confidence in their economy. That confidence slips even more when Federal Reserve Chairman says that the outlook for economic growth has worsened, as he did during a speech today.

Skipping school. Playing hooky - it seems like an innocent rite of passage. But in Baltimore, it can be a matter of life and death. Kids who don't attend school are much more likely to end up involved in criminal activity.